'After one gig, someone stole my car with my dole money in it': Morcheeba on how they made The Sea

'The string section we got in thought I was the tea boy. When I asked for a psychedelic improvisation like A Day in the Life, they went: “Why is this guy telling us what to play?”'

‘I’m an old bastard looking back’: the bizarre renaissance of piano-jammer Bruce Hornsby

The AOR jazzer behind smash hit The Way It Is veered off into the avant garde. But he’s having sudden mainstream acclaim. ‘Well,’ he says as he releases yet another album, ‘it’s nicer than being ignored’

Nicole and Natalie Appleton look back: ‘She was my home away from home during the craziness of All Saints’

The singers and sisters on growing up in west London, finding fame in the 90s and relaunching their music as a duo

Billy Idol opens up about highs and lows of his career and says he's "super lucky" to be alive

Rockstar Billy Idol spoke to Anthony Mason about how he broke into music, why he says he's lucky to be alive and what it's like to be a grandparent.

Tamerlano review

Shoreditch Town Hall, LondonOrpha Phelan’s fun but confusing staging for the London Handel festival aligns the opera’s characters with recognisable famous figures. Fine singers and players led by Laurence Cummings ensure consistent musical excellence

Add to playlist: the coffee-shop pop of Gianna and the week’s best new tracks

With her acoustic guitars and trip-hoppy beats, the London musician recalls a particular era of polished 00s boho-pop, from Nelly Furtado to Corinne Bailey Rae

Flea: Honora review

(Nonesuch)Imaginative interpretations of Funkadelic and Frank Ocean sit alongside starry collaborations and gorgeous instrumentals on the bassist’s brassy side project

‘A broken heart can turn somebody into a bad Casanova’: breakout R&B star Leon Thomas on defiance, D’Angelo and his ‘doggie’ persona

Winning two Grammys last month cemented the New Yorker’s transition from producer for the likes of Drake to guitar-soloing superstar. Now he has Stevie Wonder calling him up – though he’s conscious of living up to the greats

Anne-Sophie Mutter: East Meets West album review

Mutter/Zhou/LSO/Adès(Alpha)A varied and engaging collection of four works written for the star violinist features music by Jörg Widmann, Unsuk Chin, Thomas Adès and Aftab Darvishi

Paul McCartney announces 18th solo album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, promising introspection and revelation

The new album draws from the musician’s early childhood memories of growing up in Liverpool and his relationship with Lennon, with musical styles that span his entire career

Paul McCartney: Days We Left Behind review

(MPL/Capitol) This nostalgic new single suggests a convincing mature style, without the unnecessary straining for relevance that marred some recent solo releases

You saw me standin’ alone: songs about the moon

As the Artemis II crew prepare for the first moon mission since 1972, we select the best songs about our lunar neighbour, from Ella Fitzgerald’s romance to Gil Scott-Heron’s social commentary