TRi THIS Music Magazine Issue #7

IN THIS EDITION

p4 Welcome to TRi THIS Music magazine.

With spring arriving and the days growing lighter, it’s

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the perfect moment to refresh the soundtrack and discover something new. This issue features our headline interview with Suzi Quatro, alongside the regular mix of new music picks, artist conversations, and features celebrating both emerging talent and enduring favourites. If you enjoy what we’re building, we’d love your support—take a moment to check out our crowdfunding campaign and help us keep the

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music playing. Visit trithismusic.com for details.

As always, we’re building this with you, for you.

Enjoy the music, The TRi THIS Music Team.

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Listen to the music of TRi THIS Music Magazine Seventh Edition. trithismusic.com

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The greatest care has been taken to ensure accuracy, however there can be no liability accepted by the publisher for errors and omissions. We can under no circumstance be held responsible for any materials, matter or photographical copy submitted for publication or not within the website or magazine.

The views and opinions expressed within our publications are not necessarily those of the publisher or indeed TRi THIS Music Magazine or any featured parties.

Nikk Mager’s journey through the pop industry has never been particularly straightforward. His debut was on the BBC talent show “Star for a Night”, introduced and invited by Jane McDonald. Mager followed this up by making it to the final of “Popstars The Rivals” in the early 2000s, reaching the final and later becoming a founding member of boyband Phixx. The group enjoyed huge success, achieving four UK Top 20, and a Number One Platinum selling album, “Electronic Revolution!” What has remained true for Nikk is a constant determination to keep going; and looking back in his interview with TRi THIS Music, he admits that the life he has today would have at one point felt impossible…

Could you have imagined that this is where you would have ended up today?

“There's absolutely no way, if you'd have even told me three - four years ago, that I would end up in one of Eurovisions, most iconic British bands, I would have never believed it. It's unreal. I still pinch myself. I just feel blessed that I'm in this situation. I had to put myself out there. And thank God I did, because here we are, and it's just amazing to be able to talk about it.”

The years after Phixx’s disbanding, saw Nikk navigate the huge transition from the sudden exposure he’d received to a long-term artistic survival. It’s really important to note that this is the 2000s we’re talking about, a time of intense scrutiny and public pressure that defined the culture. A pressure to conform to certain ideas of what an artist should look like or represent. On this Nikk explained the emotional resilence that he had to build up: “I've been knocked down on TV in front of 40 million people. I've been told I'm not good enough. I've had to find some really deep inner strength, and dig deep, work hard, believe in yourself and you will get there.”

Do you think we're in a better position in the industry today in terms of support?

00s popstar @nikkmager1984 interview by Ross Ferguson

yorkshire

“Yeah, we're not all the way there yet. We're not all the way there yet. I think it's definitely a lot better than what it was, there's definitely more options out there for support if you need it, but there is still a bit of a taboo with the whole mental health thing, in my opinion.

I still think that there's more that needs to be done.

There's more that needs to be done in the LGBTQ+ community. I've just never felt included. And that stemmed from school. It stemmed from being out on the gay scene when I was younger. I've never felt included. I've always kind of felt like the outcast, and I've had to try and navigate my way personally through that, and it's not been easy, so I've really only had myself to lean on.”

At the start of this year Nikk released his latest single “Phenomenal”, a song born after living alone, processing both the upheaval of the pandemic and the end of a relationship. Rather than bury his emotions he chose to address them creatively.

How was the experience of putting the single together for you?

“It was quite a gruelling process, because it wasn't just the one song that got written and recorded, actually during COVID. It was an awful time in my life.

I was living on my own in an apartment. I'd gone through a failed relationship. I was feeling really down on myself, really depressed, and I just kind of needed to get all this stuff out of my system.

I just rang the songwriter up that I'd worked with when I was with Phixx and I just said, come and let’s get an album together. There's so much that I want to write about, and “Phenomenal” was one of those songs that was more positive really. We all go through ups and downs in life, and it's about that feeling, it doesn't last forever. But the days when you're having a really good day and everything's going well, it's a phenomenal feeling. And I wish that we could feel like that all the time and ball it up.

That's what the song's about. And it took probably about two, three weeks to record and write the whole album during COVID. And I'm glad that I did, because that's a great result from it. And Matt Pop, who did the remix, is an absolute legend, and it just sounds incredible, dare I say phenomenal. It sounds even better than the original, in my opinion. I shouldn't really be saying that, but it's the truth. It sounds incredible. He's done such a good job.”

What can we expect next?

“We've got new music coming out, and it's going to be pop-tastic, fizz-tastic, whatever you want to call it, and people are going to love it.”

Visit Rome

Time to get away Book your city break

tividale

new artist

@nyaamurraay

“Internal”, Nya Murray’s debut EP released on her 20th birthday, is a representation of her thoughts, introspective feelings and of course personal experience. It’s both a full and artistic project that very much encapsulates and lives up to its name. Nya is one of the most promising new starts to come out of the West Midlands today, here’s what she had to say about her experiences so far. interview by Ross Ferguson

The writing on the EP is really deep and emotion driven. Is it something that comes natural to you?

“Songwriting is something that comes naturally to me. I think it's because I write such deep things. So obviously, the EP is called “Internal” because it's a literal step into my mind.

Every single song is just completely true. I find it really hard to write something meaningless.

I'll start with a theme, I then make a massive mind map, and then from there, I go on to my chords, find my melody, and then I just pick out things from that mind map that can fit into that.”

This technique has given her complete creative freedom, and it’s allowed her ideas to grow and form naturally. In her own words mixing ideas, expanding ideas, always leading to something new.

Do you find that you use personal experience as well, does this play a part in your inspirations too?

“Each song is literally something that I'm either dealing with or that has happened, and a lot of them I never even planned to release. For example, “Sun and Moon”. I'm in a kind of long distance relationship. My partner's in the army. So to have that kind of metaphor of us literally being the Sun and Moon. It's so beautiful, and I'm just obsessed with it, and that's something that we've always kind of like had in our relationship.

Each song has its own little backstory and its own little thought.”

Have you found the industry difficult so far?

“It's had its challenges, and it's also been so lovely. I mean, just

connecting with so many people. It just brings people together in such a lovely, lovely way. My EP was produced by someone I met in college, Dan. He's one of my really good friends. He produced the whole EP for me, and my friend Ella.

She played guitar for me as a session musician.

She's literally one of my best of bestest friends” What landmarks are you hoping to achieve in the future on this journey?

“Of course, I'm hoping to do some singles this year, and because obviously I've just done an EP, I think it'd be nice to just do something different.

And I think my main goal as an artist is to just be myself. I don't want to create this kind of act, I feel like just representing myself is such a nice and different approach.

No matter where this goes in the future, I want to stick to my aesthetic, stick to my vibes and stick to my genre, stick to my metaphors and my deep meanings. I think it's just so beautiful.”

@maraliddle new artist

stoke-on-trent

Two years on from our first interview with Mara Liddle, we see a journey of musical evolution, no single sounds the same: and with the release of “Spin” we get to see Mara at her very best yet.

A track that she describes as one of the most enjoyable songs she has ever created. interview by Ross Ferguson How has “Spin” been for you? What was it like putting that together?

“It's one of my favourite songs that we've done. It came out probably about a year after we wrote it, so we had a bit of time to test it in front of live audiences first, which is always a good thing, you can see how people react to it” The first time I performed it live, I remember one of my friends came up to me after the gig, they were like, that's got to be your next single. I've done a couple of gigs as well where I've had backing dancers, and they did some choreo for it, and it was my favourite thing.

Like, I'm not much of a dancer myself, but I love just bopping around the stage to that one. It's so much fun.”

Whilst “Spin” is full of energy and movement, Mara’s next single strips everything back both musically and visually.

Firstly the cover is stunning, it really gives “Spin” a run for its money in terms of visual presentation - musically it's much more intimate, and lyrical.

The next single “Rivers” has such a different approach, are you excited for it to release?

I'm excited. I'm very nervous, because

it is very different. It's much softer. I feel like all of my songs are a bit vulnerable lyrically, but because this one's so much more stripped back and less sort of a dance track - I suppose you pay a bit more attention to the lyrics, and you're like, “Okay, this is quite raw and emotional.” So yeah, I feel like I'm exposing part of me by putting it out.

Do you feel like this is a completely new direction for you in comparison to the last two years?

“When I first started making music, I think I was trying to be other artists.

I’m a big fan of Charli XCX and PinkPantheress, and I felt like I needed to emulate them in some way because that’s what I was listening to. Now I’ve had time to work out who I am and what it is that I want to create. It’s much easier to push that into my music. I feel like it’s more me and less me trying to sound like something else.”

What’s next for Mara Liddle?

“Spin and Rivers are going to be part of an EP that’s coming out in the summer.

I’m keeping the details quiet for now, but they’ll be part of a bigger project.”

Our Spotlight on Street Cred!

Anny Leigh Anny Leigh is a German-born singersongwriter and multidisciplinary artist based in Scotland. After studying at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, she began carving out a creative path that blends music, storytelling, and performance. Her work often centres on honest conversations and the small moments that connect people.

She’s also a familiar face during the Edinburgh Fringe, where festival crowds gather around her street performances. With a guitar, a clear voice, and an easy way with an audience, Anny creates a welcoming atmosphere that invites listeners to pause for a song or two before moving on through the city.

Her debut album Days of Sun and Thunder highlights a reflective songwriting style rooted in acoustic warmth and thoughtful lyrics. The songs explore vulnerability, curiosity, and the everyday emotions that quietly shape our lives.

Alongside music, Anny works across film, theatre, and collaborative art projects. Whether she’s busking during festival season or performing on stage, she brings the same open spirit—music shared simply, honestly, and face-to-face with an audience.

BU SK BR ER EA K

words by Emily Rosato

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check out suzi’s new album, “Freedom” here

@suziquatroreal Suzi Quatro has been a prominent rockstar for over six decades now. She has sold over 55 million albums and counting. She is an absolute trailblazer and pioneer for women in a male dominated industry and genre. The music she made is loved, and there is no sign that she's slowing down, and her new work, “Freedom”, following on from, “Face To Face” drops on 27th March. The new album sees a return to the beginnings of Suzi Quatro; “Everybody’s going nut-so, everybody’s calling it my finest ever album. It’s a return to my roots. We stripped everything back… it’s been compared to my very first album.”

She has truly never lost that energy that broke her

70s legend

detroit

through in the 70s, and today is the most exciting time to be a Suzi Quatro fan.

“At 75 I’m shaking hands with the 23-year-old little Susie that first came out, we’re going down the road together and we have total freedom.”

Tell us about the album and where it came from.

“I am knocked out. It is a return to my roots. We stripped everything back. It kind of has been compared to my very first album, when I first appeared on the scene.

This was the intention to go full circle.”

So where was that thought?

You wanted to go back to the beginning, where that moment arrived in your head? Or did somebody suggest it to you? How did it come

about that that was the journey you wanted to make?

“When you're working towards the next project, you're throwing ideas around that's on a song, and a direction becomes apparent. It just does. There were some songs that didn't make the cut. My son Richard, he said to me, we need to strip it all back. You need to go back. You need to go back. Look at that same feeling, that brand new, jumping out of your TV screens feeling, and I am.

I'm addressing all that now, but doing it without any baggage, without having to prove anything to anybody, and enjoying the ride for the second time.”

You're also working with your son, and that must be very rewarding in its own right. But did he, in spite of sharing your DNA... (continued)

..., so to speak, have a pair of eyes that was in tune with you?

“Actually, that was the reason why we worked so well together. The first album, “No Control” was a little bit experimental. We were just getting used to working with each other. The second album, “The Devil and Me”, came more me, and now I can see through his eyes what he grew up watching. So in a funny, kind of convoluted way, I'm seeing myself fresh, I gave birth to him, but he's given rebirth to me. I don't know, he just made me aware of who he sees Suzi Quatro as. Who he grew up watching as a little boy cemented in his brain, and in all honesty, that's in most people's brains, who Suzi Quatro is. So I just went all back, went all back there in my heart and my soul and my attitude, my energy and it all just came flowing out. It was not difficult.”

Are you going to continue this collaboration?

“I think so? Yeah, it's a good one.

He's got his own band. He's got videos on YouTube and all that. So he is striking out. He wanted to come and play in my band, and I said no, because he needs to be him. And then he saw that.”

Tell us all about the new single.

“There was another song on the album called “Choose Yourself”, which was going to be the main single for quite a long time. And we're writing, writing, writing, everything's going along the same lines. You know, ‘be who you are’...’don't be somebody else's version of you’... ‘be strong’... ‘be free’... And towards the end of the writing, he sent me this track. I then get my headphones on, I get my bass out. And all of a sudden, a song will appear. It will appear.

And as I was listening to “Freedom”, I didn't know it was going to be called “Freedom”. I was listening to it, and when it came to what was obviously the chorus, I went, (exclaims), “Freedom”. And I sang that out loud, I said, “That's my song. Oh, my God, that's what the song is it's about freedom!”

What has been the emotional journey for you to revisit yourself in this sense?

From the perspective of a 75 year old, looking at what I think, looking at why I think it, revisiting the reasons that made me feel like that, owning it, owning who you are. It's all about claiming yourself, being that's what this album is all about, being comfortable in your own skin.

You know, you've got this tomboy, rocker image, but you've got this really soft side; you had this softness that people could come to and visit, especially in the 80s when you moved into that sort of country…

Mike wanted to use that part of my voice. He loved that chesty part of my voice. And he always used to say to me, even in the early days, boy, you could sing country easily.

He always also loves when I go into the higher register. He always says to me, something exciting happens when I push you. And I'm now putting down audio versions of my three poetry books. And, wow, wow, wow. First of all, to be speaking the emotions of everything I went through, and then for the listener to hear it. Spoke by the author with the right breaks, with the right emotion. You know, it really brings it home. I'm really enjoying it actually.

Do you find writing easy?

“If I don't get something either on a page as a lyric or as a poem, it eats me up. I've got to express it.

I'm one of those artists who I have to express how I'm feeling.”

We wish we could talk to you for hours. Sort of package you up and keep you in a cupboard because you are so special (laughs) You know what? My husband said to me out of the clear blue sky the other day, “If you did not exist, somebody would have to invent you. You just said the same thing!” (laughs)

interview by Martin Shaw

BardCore When Pop Goes Medieval Ever wondered what a modern hit might sound like in a medieval tavern? That’s the idea behind Bardcore, a niche but entertaining genre that reimagines contemporary songs as if they were being performed by wandering minstrels hundreds of years ago. Lutes replace electric guitars, hand drums keep the rhythm, and familiar pop melodies suddenly feel like they belong in a castle hall.

The genre really took off online during the pandemic, when creators began uploading medieval-style covers of popular songs to video platforms. One of the earliest viral examples came from creator Cornelius Link, whose lute-driven version of Astronomia spread quickly across the internet and introduced a wider audience to the concept. Soon, other musicians joined in, turning everything from chart hits to theme tunes into Renaissance-style ballads.

Part of Bardcore’s charm is the contrast. Hearing a modern melody played on instruments like the lute, harp, or recorder gives familiar songs a completely different personality. The arrangements often sound surprisingly authentic, as if they could genuinely belong in the world of knights, castles, and travelling musicians.

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But Bardcore isn’t just a novelty. It also taps into the internet’s fascination with historical aesthetics; think fantasy games, medieval festivals, and the broader online revival of old-world imagery. By blending modern pop culture with centuries-old musical styles, Bardcore manages to be both playful and oddly timeless.

So next time you’re scrolling through playlists and stumble across a song that sounds like it belongs at a royal feast, don’t be surprised. It might just be Bardcore proving that even the latest pop hit can survive a trip back to the Middle Ages

That eerie, wailing sound on The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations"?

It's a theremin, one of the earliest electronic instruments (played without touch!). It also featured in classic sci-fi films and Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love."

A I V I TR

Paul McCartney was convinced that he had plagiarised “Yesterday”. After dreaming up the melody, he wasn’t sure that it was actually his creation. For a time he went around asking people in the business if they had heard it before. “I thought if no one claimed it after a few weeks then I could have it,” he said.

In 2016, Mozart outsold Beyonce, Adele and Drake in CDs. Universal released a 200-disc box set for the 225th anniversary of Mozart’s passing, meaning that each purchase counted for 200 disc sales.

DJ Playlists, Parties & the Start of the Season March and April always feel like the starting line for DJs. After the slower winter months, the emails start picking up again. Wedding enquiries, corporate bookings, birthday parties that have been sitting in the diary since Christmas. Suddenly the speakers are back in the van most weekends and the season begins to roll. With those bookings comes something I see a lot this time of year – the party playlist.

Nearly every couple or event organiser wants to send one over, which is great. It gives a DJ a real insight into the crowd before the first track even plays. But there’s definitely an art to building one that actually helps rather than accidentally tying the DJ’s hands.

The best playlists usually sit somewhere around 20 to 30 songs. Think of it as a snapshot rather than the entire night mapped out. A few absolute must-plays, a few favourites that mean something to you and your friends, and maybe a couple of tracks that represent the kind of vibe you’re hoping for. That’s perfect.

It gives the DJ direction without turning the night into a rigid running order.

What can be tricky is the mega playlist. I’ve had a few arrive with 150 songs listed in exact order, covering everything from the first drink to the last dance. The intention is always good, but in reality a dancefloor doesn’t work like that. People arrive at different times, the energy shifts, and sometimes the track you thought would go off at 10pm actually lands better an hour later.

Another helpful trick is including a short “please avoid” list. Every crowd has those songs that just don’t work for them – maybe overplayed wedding staples or something that reminds someone of an ex. A quick heads-up saves awkward requests later on.

Spring parties are often the first big nights out people have had in a while, so the music tends to lean on the feel-good side. Big singalongs still do the job – Mr Brightside, I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Don’t Stop Me Now. But there’s also room for newer tracks and a few left-field picks that might not survive the peak summer wedding run.

From the DJ’s side of the booth, a good playlist isn’t about control – it’s about clues. It tells us what kind of crowd we’re walking into. Are they indie fans? 90s pop lovers? Secret house music heads once the grandparents leave? Give us a handful of tracks you love, a couple you really don’t, and trust us to read the room from there. Because once the dancefloor fills up, the best nights are always the ones that feel a little bit unpredictable

VINYL JUNKIE Walk into any decent record shop today and you might expect the vinyl singles chart to be dominated by the newest names in pop. Yet week after week the truth is far more interesting. The modern vinyl chart has become a curious meeting place where brand-new releases sit shoulder to shoulder with records that are older than many of the people buying them.

Take a glance at the current vinyl singles chart and you’ll regularly find contemporary artists sharing space with songs that have already earned their place in music history. It’s not unusual to see something new next to records such as Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen or the unmistakable sweep of Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve appearing again in vinyl chart listings through reissues and collector demand.

Part of the reason is the way people buy vinyl. Streaming encourages endless grazing, but vinyl invites commitment. If someone buys a single, it’s usually because they genuinely love it. That affection keeps older songs circulating in the charts decades after their first appearance. The vinyl chart is less a snapshot of current trends and more a celebration of enduring taste.

It also says something about the way new generations discover music. A listener buying their first turntable might stumble across a classic like Blue Monday by New Order and decide they want to hear it properly, needle on vinyl rather than through a phone speaker. Suddenly a record from the early 1980s is back in the top twenty again, not simply through nostalgia but through genuine rediscovery. Of course, once you start buying records regularly, another question inevitably follows: what are they actually worth?

Collectors love the thrill of the hunt, but they also enjoy discovering that the album gathering dust on the shelf might carry a little extra value. The good news is that working out the worth of a record has never been easier. The most useful tool for modern collectors is Discogs, a vast online catalogue where users log pressings, catalogue numbers and recent sale prices. By searching the album title, label and the small matrix numbers etched into the run-out groove, you can often identify the exact pressing you own.

Another respected guide for collectors is Record Collector, whose long-running price guides have helped enthusiasts assess the value of their collections for decades. Condition is everything in the vinyl world: a pristine sleeve and unmarked disc can multiply the price dramatically, while scratches and ring wear can reduce it just as quickly. But value isn’t always measured in pounds. Sometimes it’s measured in missed opportunities.

Every vinyl collector has a story about the one that got away. Mine happened in a small charity shop one Saturday morning. Sitting in a crate near the door was a copy of Rubber Soul by The Beatles that looked suspiciously like an early pressing. Before I could reach the counter another customer already had it.

“One pound,” the assistant said.

And just like that it was gone.

Another reminder that in the world of vinyl collecting, sometimes the rarest records are the ones you arrive a minute too late to find.

For all things vinyl and more

We’ve hand-picked our favourite items and brought them together in one place, offering you amazing discounts on a wide range of must-have products. Whether you're looking to treat yourself or find the perfect gift, this curated selection features our most popular pieces at prices you won’t want to miss.

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