With this being the last Matchday Playlist of 2025, this edition takes a look back over the past 12 months and highlights some of the best music released this year. Featuring tracks from the likes of Pulp, Kasabian, Sam Fender, The Black Keys, Suede, Florence and The Machine, The Lottery Winners and more, it’s a fitting soundtrack to close out the year.
Cherry Pill by Small Miracles
A bold, genre-defying quintet known for blending post-punk, grunge, new wave and disco, Cardiff’s Small Miracles enjoyed a standout 2025. This track is taken from their debut album A Human Connection, released on 10 October. Cherry Pill reveals another side to the band, bathed in dreamy textures and lilting vocals. The track radiates warmth and quiet resilience, smiling through sadness while wrapping listeners in a trademark Small Miracles soundscape that feels both intimate and cinematic.
“Nostalgic grunge-pop. Missing a person you've never met. Longing for a place you won't visit. Cherry Pill is caught up in the dream that it might happen,” says guitarist Steve Kenward.
Bubble by Airflo
Known for their emotionally resonant songwriting and atmospheric soundscapes, Airflo have been making waves in the local music scene for some time. The band have gained attention through compelling live performances and evocative recordings.
They describe their sound as a melting pot of nostalgic and modern influences, blending noughties indie comparable to Bloc Party and Coldplay with heavier contemporary tones reminiscent of Chappaqua Wrestling and Wunderhorse. Their single Bubble has already received airplay from Radio X, BBC Radio Wales, Newport City Radio and more. Airflo have also appeared at festivals including Rebel Fest 2024 in Newport and the Isle of Wight Festival 2024, alongside performances at venues such as The Louisiana in Bristol, which the band recently sold out, and The Moon in Cardiff.
Doomscrollin’ by Joe Kelly and The Royal Pharmacy
An 8:32 epic, Doomscrollin’ is the closing track from the band’s second studio album Cast Me Down, released on 11 April via Dirty Carrot Records. Described as the other side of the coin to their debut World On Fire, the album is a more unruly and expansive companion piece.
Cast Me Down blends moody Americana with cinematic rock elements, drawing comparisons to the atmospheric styles of Arctic Monkeys and The Black Keys. Doomscrollin’ explores themes of fear, disappointment and the emotional barriers that form through repeated letdowns.
