ABOUT
STATE OF SOUND
Your Backstage Pass to Music History
Founded & Edited by David Rea
State of Sound provides the best in-depth coverage of music history. Travel back in time to groundbreaking eras and scenes; get closer to iconic music and the trailblazers who made it.
Photo: The Jimi Hendrix Experience; credit: Archive PL / Alamy
Legacy artists, Landmark music, New perspectives
Whether we are covering the countercultural 1970s or the sample-strewn 1990s, we offer independent opinion, informed criticism and new perspectives.
Photo: David Bowie; credit: colaimages / Alamy
Essaying music’s connections to culture and history
We believe music isn’t simply a form of entertainment but a lightning rod for what is happening in wider society. Our essays atomise music’s connections to culture and history.
Photo: Joan Baez at the March on Washington, 1963; credit: Album / Alamy Stock Photo
Curating an alternative canon
We excavate past decades, turning up lost classics and forgotten artists, to build an alternative canon of 20th-century and 21st-century music. We make original recommendations to put in your rotation pile, and curate unique playlists to enrich your listening experience.
Photo: Jeff Tweedy; credit: JL/Sipa USA
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Get all the latest from State of Sound delivered straight to your inbox. Only newsletter subscribers receive our Muso Playlists and Hidden Classic recommendations.
Photo: Boygenius at the 66th annual Grammy Awards; credit: UPI / Alamy Stock Photo
LET’S TALK!
Drop us a line at: editor@stateofsoundmagazine.com. We do our best to answer every message we receive.
COPYRIGHT
We take copyright extremely seriously. If you believe any content on the website infringes on your or anybody else's rights, please get in touch.
Copyright protected material on this website is used in accordance with 'Fair Use', ‘for criticism, review or quotation’, as stated in UK law. It will be removed at the request of the copyright owner(s). Those wishing to make such a request, should do so through the following email address: editor@stateofsoundmagazine.com.
PITCHES
We're always on the lookout for talented, passionate and knowledgeable music writers. We read pitches for reviews, interviews and features year-round.
Before sending in your pitch please familiarise yourself with our content to check it is in line with your sensibilities. Then send an email to editor@stateofsoundmagazine.com which includes:
✔ Subject heading: PITCH: [provisional title];
✔ One or two short paragraphs outlining your idea;
✔ A brief bio;
✔ 2-3 links to your music writing which are relevant to your pitch.
Important note: however much we would like to, we are unable to pay contributors. The website runs at a financial loss.
AI
We are passionate about human authenticity and creativity. The content of State of Sound is 100% generated by humans.
ERRORS & OMISSIONS
We hold ourselves to the highest journalistic standards. If we have published something which requires correction, please let us know.
TRADEMARK
State of Sound® is a registered trademark of David Rea under Class 41 in the UK.
MAKING A MASTERPIECE
‘I pictured the Soft Boys as bloodless, spectral entities’: how the Soft Boys made Underwater Moonlight
Made in a grey and broken Britain, the Soft Boys’ Underwater Moonlight refracted sparkling 1960s power pop, providing a foundational text for 1980s neo-psychedelia and alt-rock.
by David Rea
3 July 2026
