Towa Bird Covers Guitar.com Magazine’s Latest Print Issue, Available Alongside NME Magazine Featuring Akriila
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM; 1 OCTOBER 2026 – Guitar.com (guitar.com), the destination for all things guitar, today launches its latest print issue featuring British-Filipino artist Towa Bird on the cover.
Having first found an audience through her online guitar performances, Bird has since emerged as a distinctive voice across contemporary rock and pop. In a wide-ranging conversation with Guitar.com, she discusses her second album, Gentleman, and why reconnecting with the instrument that first inspired her has unlocked a new level of confidence and creativity.
After previously resisting being defined primarily as a guitarist, Bird is now embracing that part of her identity. Reflecting on the ambitions she once struggled to imagine for herself, she tells Guitar.com: “I never really gave myself the permission to have those big, big dreams.”
Elsewhere in the September/October 2026 issue, Guitar.com takes an in-depth look at the Abasi Stage 7, the brainchild of Tosin Abasi and a potential game-changer for the nylon-string guitar. Rising guitar acts Zoh Amba and The Linda Lindas discuss their music and creative journeys, while The Close Up franchise explores Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett’s one-of-a-kind ESP KH-2 Ouija through exclusive, detailed photographs.
The issue is released as a bundle with the latest edition of NME Magazine, featuring Chilean singer and rapper Akriila on the cover. Speaking about the instinctive approach behind her genre-blurring music, she tells NME: “My recordings are based on sensation. If I say a word wrong, but it feels right, I prefer that.”
Guitar.com Magazine is on sale from 1 October 2026 at https://www.nme.com/magazine, alternating bimonthly releases with fellow NME Networks publication MusicTech. Superfans signed up to the Guitar.com Magazine mailing list are eligible for queue-jump access before each drop.
ABOUT GUITAR.COM
Guitar.com is the destination for all things guitar, creating experiences for guitarists, music obsessives, and industry to fuel their passions for guitar culture. Guitar.com’s global editorial team are knowledgeable, curious and expressive – dedicated to connecting audiences with their passions through fun, authentic and helpful content.
ABOUT NME
Launched in London, UK, in 1952 as the New Musical Express, NME has grown into a global media powerhouse that creates and curates content, products and experiences essential to fans of music and pop culture today. NME brings together the best writers and photographers to provide a multi-platform editorial offering that is at the bleeding edge of what matters most across the globe — be it music, film, TV or gaming.
ABOUT NME NETWORKS
NME Networks is a global, next-generation media group that views the wider world of pop culture through the lens of music and connects artists and brands to music-obsessed audiences. Our portfolio of popular music-journalism brands, comprising NME, Guitar.com and MusicTech, takes audiences on a lifelong journey through musicianship and fandom. NME Networks is a part of Caldecott Music Group.
ABOUT CALDECOTT MUSIC GROUP
Headquartered in Singapore, Caldecott Music Group is a global music industry operator, innovator, and investor spanning multiple sectors, including digital (BandLab Technologies), media (NME Networks), and manufacturing, retail and distribution (Vista Musical Instruments). By integrating the physical, digital, and social supply chain around music, CMG brings together brands and people who are passionate about music, allowing them to deliver authentic content, products, and experiences for all music lovers.