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About Me

I recently graduated from the University of Sheffield with a BA in Politics. Whilst at University, I was elected to be the music editor of Forge Press, the University of Sheffield's Student Newspaper. As editor of the music section, I organised interviews with Squid, James, the Mary Wallopers, Reverend and the Makers, Do Nothing, and countless others. I also created a new section focusing on local Sheffield music, created an Instagram for the section which grew to 200+ followers, and grew the overall readership of the music section by a considerable amount. I am currently the lead editor of the Jarred Up Magazine.

Outside of journalism, I work as a Marketing Assistant for WaterBear - The College of Music, where I am tasked with a variety of roles, including running the blog. I also work as a booking agent in Sheffield, currently with Jarred Up. As a booking agent, I have helped organise a variety of gigs, including booking Do Nothing for a 200-cap sold-out show at Sidney&Matilda, as well as organising my own music festival. I was one of Launchpad Music's 'Future Leaders', which allowed me to develop my own skills, and contacts, in the music industry.

Relevant CV Info

  • Music Editor, Forge Press (04/2022 - 06/2023)
  • Media & Events Officer, Music Culture Society (04/2022 - 07/2023)
  • Lead Editor, Jarred Up Magazine (09/2022 - Present)
  • Booking Agent, Jarred Up HQ (09/2022 - Present)
  • Marketing Assistant, WaterBear (10/2023 - Present)

Full CV is available upon request.

Contact Info

  • charliessweeney@gmail.com
  • charlie@jarreduphq.com

Featured Articles

Explore a featured selection of my writing work below. The rest of my articles can be found here.

Jarred Up •

Who the f*ck is… Mickey Nomimono?

Who the fuck is Mickey Nomimono?

There is, perhaps, no singular music entity who best encompasses the Sheffield music scene more than Mickey Nomimono. The variety, the attitude, the pure fucking craic of it all. I recently described Mickey as “easily the most entertaining live performer in Sheffield”, and that is honestly under-selling him. It is safe to say, I am a fan.

So, ahead of his new, debut album, The Second One Is Always Better, we decided it would be a good time to get together, have
Jarred Up •

INTERVIEW: Teenage Fanclub discuss Rockfield Studios, their new album, and retrospection

I have grown up on a lot of Teenage Fanclub. Bandwagonesque is easily one of the best albums of the 90s. SPIN even named it the best album of 1991, beating out My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, REM’s Out Of Time, and even Nirvana’s Nevermind. So when I got the chance to chat with Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake, I was ecstatic.

Teenage Fanclub have been around since 1989, and their upcoming album, Nothing Lasts Forever, is their 13th album to-date. Coming out 22nd September via the band’s own PeMa
FLARE Music •

Ravenscourt Park, 2004 - Drastic//Automatic —

Known for their loud and aggressive takes on punk music, Drastic//Automatic’s newest single combines all that is good with their last few releases, whilst demonstrating the sheer talent in the band. Beginning with a punching, precise drum track from Benji Wilson, before an ominous bass line kicks in courtesy of Sissy Green, Ravenscourt Park, 2004 starts as it means to go on. Lead singer Sean Hession continually chants “Ravenscourt Park, 2004”, with his voice sounding like it's at the very peak o
Exposed Magazine •

INTERVIEW: JIM GHEDI

Ahead of his headline gig at Firth Hall on 28th April, Sheffield folk innovator Jim Ghedi talked with Exposed’s Charlie Sweeney about his biggest gig yet, the Sheffield music scene and what’s next for him.

So Jim, your upcoming gig at Firth Hall is set to be your biggest ever. Can you tell us a bit about what we can expect from this show?

I am dead nervous to be playing Firth Hall, actually. It’s one of those Sheffield landmarks and, growing up in Crookes, I always walked past it as a kid on m
Forge Press •

Interview: The Mary Wallopers talk about their new album, Sheffield, and the current state of Irish music

Irish music is having somewhat of a renaissance recently. With Lankum and John Francis Flynn giving Irish folk music a new lease of life, as well as Kneecap bringing Trad sensibilities and the Irish language to the world of hip-hop, the generational gap present in Irish music is definitely being bridged. No group, in my opinion, is doing this better than The Mary Wallopers, who’s debut album came out only last week. I was lucky enough to speak to Charles and Andrew Hendy from the band the other
Forge Press •

Review: Arctic Monkeys - The Car

The Car is, to put it simply, the best thing Arctic Monkeys have done since Humbug.

There. I’ve said it.

Genuinely, the Sheffield band’s seventh album is incredible. It represents a culmination of the band’s experimentation in sound that has seemingly been going on since Suck It And See. A combination of Father John Misty, Ennio Morricone, David Bowie and Richard Hawley, The Car is the band’s most mature record and their most experimental. It truly demonstrates the magnificent musical evolutio
Forge Press •

Review: Femur - People Parts

Femur are, without a shadow of the doubt, one of the most interesting and exciting bands coming out of Sheffield. A mix of post-punk, psychedelica and heavy rock, they are easily one of my favourite new bands, simply because they are just so much fun. Their long-awaited (at least for me) debut album, People Parts, has definitely lived up to this. Easily one of the best guitar-based albums to come out of Sheffield in a while, People Parts is genuinely incredible.

Transatlantic kicks off the albu
Forge Press •

Live Review: Richard Hawley @ The Leadmill

Is there anyone as truly ‘Sheffield’ as Richard Hawley? Sure, he might not have had the worldwide success experienced by, say, Alex Turner, but if there is one man who truly embodies the spirit of the Steel City, it’s Richard Hawley. The man bleeds Hendo’s. He’s best mates with Pete McKee. He’s still a Wednesday fan. Richard Hawley is Sheffield.

So when he announced he would be doing what was originally a 2-day (but later, due to the insane popularity of the event, extended to a 4-day) residenc
Forge Press •

Bored faces all wishing they weren’t here?

Despite being the Steel City, I’d argue that if you were to ask anyone the first thing they think of when asked about Sheffield, most of the time they’d say Arctic Monkeys. Or Pulp. Or just Jarvis Cocker. Music is as important to the cultural identity of Sheffield these days as the steel industry was previously. The Leadmill is consistently ranked as one of the best music venues in the country, where playing is a ‘rite of passage for any band worth their salt’, as Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinan