Ted Kessler is a UK-based music journalist and author renowned for his deep dives into rock legacies and cultural memoir. As co-founder of The New Cue, he merges traditional criticism with Substack-era intimacy, offering nuanced profiles of acts like Oasis and Interpol. His career spans iconic outlets: NME during Britpop, Q Magazine as editor, and anthologies like My Old Man.
We’ve followed Ted Kessler’s career as a defining voice in British music journalism and cultural commentary. Starting at NME during the Britpop explosion of the 1990s, Kessler carved a niche as a sharp chronicler of bands like Oasis, Blur, and Radiohead. His tenure at Q Magazine as editor (2016–2020) solidified his reputation for blending incisive analysis with an irreverent tone, bridging mainstream and indie audiences. Post-Q, he co-founded The New Cue, a Substack-based music newsletter lauded for its deep dives into artist profiles and album retrospectives. His pivot to long-form authorship—including memoirs and band biographies—reflects his evolution from magazine editor to narrative storyteller.
This deeply personal essay intertwines Kessler’s familial bonds with his professional insights into the music industry. Reflecting on his brother Daniel’s rise as Interpol’s frontman, Kessler dissects the emotional complexities of sibling dynamics amid fame. The piece balances memoir-style vulnerability with astute observations about artistic integrity, contrasting Daniel’s understated success against Britpop’s bombast. Its resonance lies in its universal themes of pride, insecurity, and legacy, framed through the lens of a journalist who’s witnessed stardom’s highs and lows firsthand.
In this anthology piece for My Old Man, Kessler curates anecdotes about fatherhood from rock icons like Rod Stewart and Shaun Ryder. The article exemplifies his knack for finding humanity in larger-than-life figures, using paternal relationships to humanize celebrities. By juxtaposing gritty rock ’n’ roll tales with tender familial moments, Kessler reinforces music’s role as a generational bridge. The piece’s viral appeal stemmed from its relatable core—how legacies, musical or otherwise, are shaped by parental influence.
This early-2000s profile of Liam Gallagher captures Oasis at their zenith, blending razor-sharp quotes with cultural critique. Kessler dissects Liam’s persona as both a working-class hero and a tabloid fixture, interrogating the contradictions of Britpop’s excesses. The article’s enduring relevance lies in its prescient analysis of celebrity culture, foreshadowing reality TV’s rise. Methodologically, Kessler leverages years of access to the band, offering anecdotes that humanize Gallagher without sanitizing his notorious bravado.
Kessler’s upcoming book A Sound So Very Loud (Pan Macmillan, 2025) and his Oasis coverage reveal a fascination with musical legacies. Pitches should emphasize untold stories about bands’ creative processes or post-breakup evolutions. For example, his deep dive into Oasis’ B-sides for The New Cue underscores his interest in catalog reappraisals. Avoid trends; instead, frame artists as cultural touchstones.
His memoir Paper Cuts and My Old Man anthology highlight his belief that personal narratives deepen music criticism. Successful pitches might explore how an artist’s upbringing or relationships inform their work, akin to his Guardian piece on Interpol.
Kessler’s Substack-driven model favors evergreen content like oral histories or interview retrospectives. His 2022 Guardian essay exemplifies this, weaving 20 years of brotherly observation into a cohesive narrative. Pitches should offer archival depth, not timely scoops.
My youngest brother is a famous rockstar. I used to worry for him, but now I just feel so proud
Rod Stewart's dad gave him football lessons; Chris Martin's joins him on tour; Shaun Ryder's broke his nose on stage; Leonard Cohen is funnier than ...
Liam Gallagher: Mad for it
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Music, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
