Exclusive! Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds roar back with new album Wild God, celebrated with an in-depth, wide-ranging and emotional audience with the man himself. Also in the magazine this month: Van Morrison – in search of Veedon Fleece; James Brown – his Superbad ’70s; Fontaines D.C. – their new album unpicked; Joe Boyd – folk-rock Renaissance dude. Plus: Françoise Hardy; The Jesus & Mary Chain; Doug Sahm; Cassandra Jenkins; Average White Band; The Jesus Lizard; The Police; Man; Sparks’ socks and Syd Barrett’s floorboards!

THIS MONTH’S COVERMOUNT CD is Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Classic. Live Rare. 1984-2024. Fourteen tracks of superior Cave sturm und drang, dramatic balladry and multi-hued musical questing, cherry-picked from his back catalogue. A must for Bad Seeds fans! And everyone else!