Music News

Benji Madden felt like Good Charlotte was going to "kill" him.
Whilst reflecting on the rockers last decade as a band, the guitarist - who is married to Cameron Diaz - insists if they hadn't taken time off to find themselves in 2011, they could've ended up in an even darker place and their career could have been over permanently.
He explained: "We were breaking down after doing five albums in 10 years. It was like being thrown out of a plane without any warning, and suddenly we realised that there was no parachute. We hung in there and toughed it out, but eventually I couldn't help thinking, 'This thing's going to kill us if we don't take a second for ourselves.' All of us needed to figure out who we were outside of Good Charlotte, what we wanted to do with our lives, and there was no point doing this if it wasn't exciting any more."
Recalling the same difficult period in the group's history, lead vocalist Joel Madden - who is Benji's twin brother - admits he felt like his whole life was revolving around what everyone else wanted and he wanted a break because he wasn't prepared for his children, son Sparrow, six, and daughter Harlow, eight, and wife Nicole Richie to come second.
The 'Makeshift Love' hitmaker told Rock Sound magazine: "We made a record at the end that almost felt like an exercise. My son (Sparrow) had just been born, and my daughter spent the first two years of her life on a tour bus. I was missing a lot at home, and we all had our families to think of. It had become more about what other people wanted - the fans, the label, not wanting to let anyone down."

Blink-182 have completed work on their new album.
The 'All the Small Things' rockers - who parted ways with founder member Tom DeLonge last year and replaced him with Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba - scrapped 16 songs for the record and are thrilled with the replacement tracks.
Drummer Travis Barker told Punkvideosrock.com: "The album's done, I'll be honest with everybody.
"It's just a matter of picking what 12 to 14 songs are going to be on the album. I think we wrote 26 or 27? So everyone right now is really pushing for their favourites."
There is no release date yet for the record - the follow-up to 2011's 'Neighborhoods' - but the group have been working hard to get it finished.
Travis said: "We've been working probably like 15-20 hour days so it's been a lot of time in the studio ... I was literally at (producer John Feldman's) house until 2 or 3am the day before the Grammys ... I was recording Blink drums."
And working with Matt has made things much easier for the trio.
Travis explained: "It was great to have someone who wants to be in the studio all the time with us. It has been amazing. I think the days of making great records, at least with Blink, the proof has been shown that it's great when we're all in the studio together.
"I think just sending track and sending ideas back and forth through the internet, it can't be as collaborative as it should be. I love us all being in the studio and throwing around ideas and really collaborating."
A new single will be revealed in the coming months, while a tour will be announced within the next six weeks.

Massive Attack are to headline Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park.
The 'Teardrop' hitmakers will take to the Great Oak Stage on July 1, where the will showcase a new audio-visual live show designed by Robert Del Naja and United Visual Artists.
James King, Senior Vice President of AEG Live, said: "With powerful beats, orchestral arrangements, beautiful melodies by incredible vocalists, inspired video art - it's hard to think of a more important moment for the World to listen to Massive Attack than right now.
"The band's production has always been a shining light in live music and to see their video art across 900m2 of screen on the Great Oak Stage will be a truly breathtaking sight."
Joining Massive Attack in Hyde Park, London, will be Patti Smith, Young Fathers - who supported the group on their recent European tour - TV On The Radio, Warpaint and Ghostpoet, with further acts to be announced in the coming weeks.
A Barclaycard pre-sale starts today (07.03.16), with an AEG pre-sale on Thursday (10.03.16), a day before tickets go on general sale.
As previously announced, this year's Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park will see Florence + the Machine and Kendrick Lamar take to the stage on July 2, Mumford & Sons, Alabama Shakes and Wolf Alice perform on July 8 and Take That, Olly Murs and Ella Eyre make an appearance on July 9.

Robbie Williams is to start recording new music.
The 'Candy' singer hasn't released a solo album since 2013's 'Swings Both Ways' after taking a break from the pop world to help care for his two children, daughter Theodora, three, and 17-month-old son Charlton.
But he's been telling friends he "misses" making music and has decided now is the right time to get back in the studio, as his kids - who he has with wife Ayda Field - now have a settled routine and life.
A source close to the 42-year-old pop star told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Robbie is keen to get back in the studio and get his creative juices flowing. He misses making music."
Before taking a break from recording and touring, Robbie had a busy few years rejoining his old band Take That in 2010 for an album 'Progress' and a huge stadium tour in 2011 and also bringing out solo LP 'Take The Crown' in 2012.
Just last week he teased on social media he was ready to "entertain" again.
Using a play on words from his song 'Let Me Entertain You', the pop star wrote on Instagram: "I feel as though it's my duty to entertain you. RW x (sic)"
Meanwhile, Robbie is also believed to be keen to reunite with his Take That bandmates Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald and potentially fellow ex-member Jason Orange to mark the group's 25th anniversary next year.
A source previously revealed: "Robbie says he is up for coming back and performing again. He feels that he is at peace with the group and wants to help commemorate their astonishing rise."

Gary Barlow has offered to sing for free at fans' birthdays.
The 45-year-old Take That singer has given his 4.2 million followers the chance to be serenaded by him for their special milestone parties, following his performances at five weddings last year.
Fans must get in touch with Gary via his Twitter account and make their case as to why he should perform at their parties.
Taking to his to his social media account on Sunday (06.03.16), he tweeted: "So 2015 was the year I sang at weddings! And what fun we had ... If you have a milestone birthday this year start your campaign now! ... 21, 30, 40, 60, 110 !!!!! I'll come and sing at your party ... Good luck everyone ! Xx (sic)"
Gary surprised newlyweds Stephen and Katie Hardy when he performed for nothing at the nuptials back in August of 2015. The happy couple had no idea he was going to make an appearance at their reception and were left "speechless" when he sang 2006 hit 'Rule The World'.
In May of the same year he again sang for another couple Anita Booth and Alex Morrissey who were watching an impersonator of the 'Back For Good' hitmaker before Gary himself took over the microphone to sing 'A Million Love Songs' at their wedding in Manchester, North West England.

Kelly Clarkson claims she was "blackmailed" into working with Dr. Luke.
Last month, a court ruled that Kesha must abide by her contract with Sony Music and Dr. Luke, despite her allegations that she was sexually abused by the record producer and although Kelly says she doesn't know anything about Kesha's situation, she claimed he is "not a good person".
Speaking about the producer, who she worked with on 'Since You've Been Gone' and 'Behind These Hazel Eyes', Kelly told Australia's KIIS 106.5: "I'll be honest about the guy, but I don't know that situation. He's not a good person, to me. We've clashed. He's difficult to work with, he's kind of demeaning.
"Obviously he's a talented dude but he's lied a lot. Musically it's been really hard for me because he will just lie to people and it makes the artist look bad.
"When so many artists don't like you, that says something. I only worked with him because literally I was blackmailed by my label. It was a really hard time for me.
"We have a whole crew to support...people that depend on us for their livelihood so sometimes you have to make decisions that you just have to swallow that pill."
However, Kelly added that her problems with Dr. Luke - real name Lukasz Gottwald - were strictly professional,adding: "He never did anything like that [alleged sexual assault] to me."
After Kesha's court ruling was revealed, Kelly took to Twitter to write: "Trying 2 not say anything since I can't say anything nice about a person... so this is me not talking about Dr. Luke (sic)."
Dr. Luke - whose Kemosabe Records is part of Sony-owned RCA - had denied all of Kesha's allegations.

Iggy Pop "worries constantly" about being poor.
The 68-year-old musician admits he fears blowing all his money and not having enough to get him through his old age.
He said: "What I think about is feeling I'm going to blow it. I have this picture of myself in some little old people's home with a bunch of other old geezers, and a flannel robe with holes in it, waiting for somebody.
"Even 15 years ago, my accountant was saying, 'You will never be poor, don't worry.' But I do worry. I worry constantly. It drives me nuts."
However, Iggy's collaborator Josh Homme believes the 'Passenger' hitmaker's fear is only good news for music as a whole.
Iggy said: "[Michel] Houellebecq has a great line where he says: "Money is an excellent motivator for a great piece of art."
In a joint interview, Josh added to The Guardian's Guide magazine: "As long as it encourages risk. Safety equals death. If you reach a certain status, or age, or a monetary thing, people play it safe, they lose the plot, they quit on themselves, they copy themselves. They're afraid. They say, 'I only play the blues!' I'm like, 'What, why?'"

Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff are reminded of their "crazy" success whenever they see each other.
The hip hop pioneer and Oscar-nominated Hollywood star are the best of pals, having rose to fame as the Grammy Award winning duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.
They're set to unite in December to go on tour, but Jeff revealed whenever they meet they share a knowing "look" of disbelief at the wonderful careers they have had.
'The Return of the Magnificent' hitmaker exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "You have no idea just the conversations that we'll have. There's times that he'll give me that look, and I know that look, I've known that look for 30 years! It's 'Can you believe this?' I don't think it will ever completely set in that this is how it's supposed to be. And I think people are really shocked that it's like that with him. You know, 'You don't ever take anything for granted... this is crazy.' "
Jeff is booked to perform at SuncéBeat festival in Croatia which is held at iconic music location The Garden, Tisno, in July.
And these days the former 'Fresh Prince of Bel Air' co-stars find it easier to catch up in exotic places than in their hometown of West Philadelphia.
Jeff recalled: "I was just wrapping up my Asian tour in January and my last date was in Malaysia. I landed there and got a text, 'Are you in Malaysia?' And I was kind of like, 'Why would he ask me if I was in Malaysia?' But I said 'Yeah man, I've just landed' and he replied 'I'm in the airport'."
The 'Summertime' hitmakers then enjoyed a completely random reunion.
He continued: "I'm just like, 'Wait a minute, how in the world, how random, is it for us to be in Malaysia at the same time?' So he was like, 'Where you at?' and I told him the baggage claim. And he said 'I'm sending someone to come and get you.' He had just landed and he was over there for some business meetings, and had just landed too, and asked someone what's going on tonight, and she looked it up and said, 'You're not gonna believe it, your partner is here.' "

Simon Cowell says the new Fifth Harmony album is "amazing".
The music mogul - who formed the group on America's 'The X Factor' in 2012 - is excited about the upcoming release of their second album and revealed they are his "big focus" this year.
Simon told E! News: "From America this year, our big focus in the States this year is Fifth Harmony, and they've got a killer album coming out, the album's amazing."
The girl band - Normani Kordei, Camila Cabello, Lauren Jauregui, Ally Brooke and Dinah Jane Hansen - only released their debut LP 'Reflection' last year but Camila has already admitted that she believes they will eventually split.
Asked whether she expects the group to break up in the future, she said: "Honestly, I think we all do. We'd be lying if we all said this is a picture-perfect thing, like we all completely agreed on the album track list and what the sound and the music video treatment would be like, which usually happens in bands who grew up together. But for manufactured bands, it's harder."
But the brunette beauty insists she still gets along well with her bandmates and they have no plans to part ways soon.
She said: "The cool part is that we allow one another to do our own thing within this thing. I think it's healthy because if not, personally, I would go insane."