‘When I was younger, songwriting was only ever something I’d thought of as a semi-ironic way to make people laugh,’ Jacob Alon tells M in their cover story. ‘There was a light-heartedness and a playfulness in the music that I still try to preserve to this day.
‘Music was a way for me to get my power back, and it brought me so much joy when I needed it.’
Coming hot on the heels of Jacob winning the prestigious Critics’ Choice Award at the BRITs 2026, the Scottish artist fronts this latest special edition of M Magazine to reflect on their evolving songwriting identity in the spotlight. As ever, the creation of music dominates the pages of this issue: from the songwriters who worked with Lily Allen to bring her comeback album West End Girl to life, through to the creation of the recent HELP(2) compilation for War Child.
There is also a strong focus on live music. We assess the impact of Oasis’ mammoth comeback tour on the industry, explore the increasing importance of the tech-driven side of live shows, and honour the cultural legacy of sound systems in UK music.
Elsewhere, we have enlightening interviews with the likes of award-winners and live specialists ALT BLK ERA, rising Sierra Leone star The Therapist and The Traitors' composer Sam Watts, who speaks to us about composing the score for the hit BBC show.
You can read M’s latest issue online by either heading here or exploring the above embed.
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