Female-Fronted Friday: Purple Grace

When: Formed in 2020

Where: Didcot, South Oxfordshire, England

Genre: Indie rock

FFO: Dorothy, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Patti Smith

Originally formed in 2020, Purple Grace underwent a few changes before settling into their current lineup of Emily (vocals), Lewis (drums), Luke (guitar), Ed (guitar), and Ben (bass). The band recently released “Narcissist,” and their next single – “Just 19” – will be available May 8th!

Purple Grace has been hitting the stage quite frequently, with two upcoming gigs of note May 31st at FaceBar Reading and August 30th on the second stage at Wokingham Festival 2026. For more show dates, plus new music and general band shenanigans, follow Purple Grace’s various socials.

“Narcissist”

“Illogical”

“Turbulence” (Live)

“What’s Wrong With Me?”

If Not For Me + Colorblind + Windwaker: The Hounds of the Underground Tour 2026

If Not For Me has announced a late spring tour with a stacked lineup that includes Colorblind and Windwaker. This 24-date run kicks off with If Not For Me and Colorblind performing at Welcome to Rockville 2026. Tickets are on sale at ifnotformeband.com, bandsintown.com/colorblindtx, and windwakerband.com!

  • 5/9 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome to Rockville 2026*
  • 5/10 – Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506
  • 5/11 – Philadelphia, PA – The Foundry
  • 5/12 – Toronto, ON – Hard Luck Bar
  • 5/14 – Columbus, OH – Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival 2026+
  • 5/15 – Chicago, IL – Cobra Lounge
  • 5/16 – St. Paul, MN – Amsterdam Bar & Hall
  • 5/17 – St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway
  • 5/19 – Denver, CO – HQ
  • 5/20 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Grand @ The Complex
  • 5/22 – Roseville, CA – Goldfield Trading Post
  • 5/23 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Ballroom
  • 5/24 – Anaheim, CA – The Parish, House of Blues
  • 5/26 – Mesa, AZ – The Underground
  • 5/27 – Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad
  • 5/29 – San Antonio, TX – Vibes Underground
  • 5/30 – Dallas, TX – Puzzles Deep Ellum
  • 5/31 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall, Upstairs
  • 6/2 – Pensacola, FL – The HandleBar
  • 6/3 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade, Purgatory
  • 6/5 – Baltimore, MD – Metro Baltimore
  • 6/6 – Richmond, VA – Canal Club
  • 6/7 – Brooklyn, NY – The Meadows
  • 6/8 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall

* If Not For Me and Colorblind only

+ Windwaker only

Collective Soul Shares More 2026 Dates

Collective Soul has announced a handful of dates for spring/summer 2026. Check collectivesoul.com for tickets and info!

  • 5/22 – Portsmouth, VA – Rivers Casino Portsmouth, The Event Center
  • 6/5 – Ludington, MI – Stix
  • 6/6 – Troy, OH – America 250 Concert 2026^ (New date!)
  • 6/7 – Louisville, KY – The Louisville Palace (New date!)
  • 6/25 – Pleasanton, CA – Alameda County Fairgrounds (New date!)
  • 6/26 – Saratoga, CA – The Mountain Winery (New date!)
  • 6/27 – Sparks, NV – Nugget Casino Resort (New date!)
  • 7/2 – Sherman, TX – Lights on the Lake Festival 2026^ (New date!)
  • 7/3 – Lake Charles, LA – Golden Nugget Lake Charles Hotel & Casino*
  • 7/9 – Northfield, OH – MGM Northfield Park Center Stage (New date!)
  • 7/11 – Morton, MN – Dacotah Exposition Center at Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel*
  • 7/23 – Grover Hill, OH – Wetzel Motorcycle Rally 2026^
  • 7/24 – West Bend, WI – Washington County Fair Park & Conference Center
  • 7/25 – Menahga, MN – Mid Summer Music Fest 2026^
  • 7/30 – Tsuut’ina, AB – Grey Eagle Event Centre (New date!)
  • 7/31 – Regina, SK – Conexus Arts Centre
  • 8/1 – Minto, MB – Rockin’ the Fields of Minnedosa 2026^
  • 8/7 – Tillamook, OR – Tillamook County Fairgrounds*
  • 8/8 – Arlington, WA – Angel of the Winds Casino Resort (New date!)
  • 8/9 – Ridgefield, WA – Clark County Fairgrounds (New date!)
  • 8/13 – Sturgis, SD – Sturgis Buffalo Chip 2026^
  • 8/15 – Saskatoon, SK – Rock the River 2026^
  • 8/16 – Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre
  • 8/20 – Fairlee, VT – Lake Morey Resort (New date!)
  • 8/21 – Lincoln, RI – Twin River Casino
  • 8/22 – Cohasset, MA – South Shore Music Circus
  • 8/25 – Derry, NH – Tupelo Music Hall
  • 8/26 – Hyannis, MA – Cape Cod Melody Tent
  • 8/29 – Atlantic City, NJ – Ocean Casino Resort
  • 8/30 – Selbyville, DE – Freeman Arts Pavilion

* An Evening with…Collective Soul

^ Festival

Godsmack: The Rise of Rock World Tour 2026

Alt-metal vets Godsmack have announced The Rise of Rock World Tour with alt-rock OGs Stone Temple Pilots and the newer hard rockers Dorothy. Below are the U.S. dates for spring and early summer. Tickets are available at godsmack.com!

May

  • 5/7 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome to Rockville 2026*
  • 5/9 – Camden, NJ – 93.3 WMMR MMRBQ 2026^
  • 5/10 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
  • 5/12 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
  • 5/14 – Charlotte, NC – Truliant Amphitheater
  • 5/16 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
  • 5/17 – Columbus, OH – Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival 2026*
  • 5/19 – Franklin, TN – FirstBank Amphitheater
  • 5/21 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
  • 5/23 – Huntsville, AL – Orion Amphitheater
  • 5/24 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf
  • 5/27 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
  • 5/29 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
  • 5/30 – The Woodlands, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

June

  • 6/12 – Riverside, MO – Morton Amphitheater
  • 6/14 – Maryland Heights, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
  • 6/16 – Grand Rapids, MI – Acrisure Amphitheater
  • 6/18 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
  • 6/20 – Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
  • 6/21 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
  • 6/23 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
  • 6/24 – Toronto, ON – RBC Amphitheatre
  • 6/27 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
  • 6/28 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
  • 6/30 – Syracuse, NY – Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview

July

  • 7/2 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
  • 7/3 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater

September

  • 9/4 – Pryor, OK – Rocklahoma 2026* (New date!)
  • 9/6 – El Paso, TX – Speaking Rock Entertainment Center+
  • 9/7 – Albuquerque, NM – First Financial Credit Union Amphitheater
  • 9/9 – Denver, CO – The Junkyard
  • 9/11 – Las Vegas, NV – Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino+
  • 9/12 – Phoenix, AZ – KUPD UFest
  • 9/15 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
  • 9/17 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
  • 9/19 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
  • 9/20 – Corning, CA – Rolling Hills Casino+
  • 9/22 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater
  • 9/24 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre
  • 9/25 – Umatilla, OR – Rock the Locks 2026* (New date!)
  • 9/26 – Nampa, ID – XQXR XFest

* Festival

^ Radio show; no STP or Dorothy

+ No STP

Five Songs I’m Obsessed With [4/20 – 4/26]

Female-Fronted Friday: Little Evil

When: Founded January 2023

Where: Iowa

Genre: Hard rock

FFO: The Pretenders, No Doubt, Garbage

Little Evil consists of vocalist Nico Merschman, bassist Alexxx Bentzinger, guitarist Bryer Meierotto, and drummer Tim Wardlow. This dynamic quartet classifies themselves as “hard rock” or “river rock,” but they do not limit themselves to those labels. Listening to them, you will find yourself moved by a ballad, pumped by a punk-tinged anthem, swaying to a bluesy track with a haunting atmosphere, or headbanging to a raw rock song!

You can listen to their latest single, “Graveyard Kisses,” along with a few other releases, down below. Make sure you check out their socials for upcoming live shows, music news, and much more!

“Graveyard Kisses”

“Little Devil”

“Riverview”

“Fortify”

Five Songs I’m Obsessed With [4/13 – 4/19]

Female-Fronted Friday: Hooked Like Helen

When: Formed in 2016, writing music for TV and movies. Began focusing on touring in 2023.

Where: Northeast Ohio

Genre: Alt-rock/Sad glam

FFO: Evanescence, Tori Amos, Jewel, Lacuna Coil

At its core, Hooked Like Helen is made up of husband-and-wife Nikki and Jon Stipp. The band explores topics such as mental health, unresolved trauma, and addiction recovery in their music, fostering a safe space for healing for both themselves and their fan base. They have provided music for films and TV, and they have opened for such artists as Scott Stapp, Jewel, and Hinder.

Hooked Like Helen’s latest single, “I Don’t Mind,” deals with the subject of unrecognized and therefore unprocessed trauma. Check it out below, along with a few of my other favorite HLH tracks! And be sure to follow/subscribe to their various socials for tour dates, new music announcements, and much more!

“I Don’t Mind”

“Promise Me You’ll Run”

“Fraud”

“Sleepwalker”

The Mostly Music Podcast, Ep. 2: Rock ‘n’ Roll Messiah 101

I had the chance to interview Muscle Shoals, Alabama-based Chase “The Ace” West, aka Rock ‘n’ Roll Messiah! We chatted about his musical journey, from what inspired him to pick up a guitar as a kid all the way to this new project. 

A little bit of background: I have known Chase since 2013, when he joined The Velcro Pygmies as their new guitarist. You might think that would make this interview easier, but… I guess it did in some ways, not so much in others.

Also, enjoy my brother’s cat and his inability to be ignored 😂 He’s a giant furball and I was distracted by the risk he posed to my laptop, cords, lighting, etc.

Hope y’all like it!

Be sure to visit this page for all things Rock ‘n’ Roll Messiah, including music, merch, and his socials!