Sarah Lay

Front cover of Popoptica Zine showing indie band Heavenly and a list of bands featured in the pages

Popoptica Zine open on a wooden table showing an interview with indie band Heavenly

Popoptica Zine open on a table showing 2 pages of album reviews

Popoptica Zine open on a table showing an interview with indie rock band Slime City

The first run of the first issue of Popoptica in print sold out in 3 days. Having restocked yesterday half the second run has already gone too!

Featuring print-only writing about: Heavenly, Slime City, The Empty Page, AEOABITAP, YAKKIE and more!

recklessyes.bandcamp.com/merch/popopt...

Front cover of Popoptica issue 1 showing indie band Heavenly against a coloured background and wording Popoptica (Zine) Issue 1 January 2026. A list of bands featured reads Slime City, The Empty Page, YAKKIE, An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump, Chaffinch, Tiger Island, Strange Loop, Pink Opaque and more!!!

I’ve made a music magazine, would you like to buy it?

Popoptica issue 1 features Heavenly, Slime City, The Empty Page, @pinkopaque.co.uk YAKKIE, Tiger Island, Chaffinch, CURRLS, An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump, Strange Loop and more!

recklessyes.bandcamp.com/merch/popopt...

First copies sold come with a free copy of our recent compilation Among The Wildflowers on CD too!

Front cover of Popoptica issue 1 showing indie band Heavenly against a coloured background and wording Popoptica (Zine) Issue 1 January 2026. A list of bands featured reads Slime City, The Empty Page, YAKKIE, An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump, Chaffinch, Tiger Island, Strange Loop, Pink Opaque and more!!!

I’ve made a music magazine, would you like to buy it?

Popoptica issue 1 features Heavenly, Slime City, The Empty Page, @pinkopaque.co.uk YAKKIE, Tiger Island, Chaffinch, CURRLS, An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump, Strange Loop and more!

recklessyes.bandcamp.com/merch/popopt...

Special Friend - Breakfast (Skep Wax / Howlin'Banana / Hidden Bay) - popoptica French / American duo Special Friend announce their forthcoming third album, Clipping, with the release of indiepop single Breakfast

"pure indiepop sunshine for the long dark of January" 🌞

popoptica.com/2026/01/15/special-friend-breakfast/

Thank you @sarahlay.bsky.social! You can pre-order Special Friend's 3rd album at hiddenbayrecords.bandcamp.com/album/clipping and via @skepwax.bsky.social & @howlinbanana.bsky.social.

A black tea towel with the Reckless Yes Records crows logo and wording in white

Reckless Yes compilation Among The Wildflowers. A spread of front and back cover as well as the black vinyl record is shown

Truth Is The New Gold by Feral Five album. The front and back cover as well as a black vinyl record is shown

The Incomprehensible Static album with the eco vinyl in a grey and lilac blended colour is half out of the front cover

Of course we’re having a bit of a sale - money off vinyl and CDs including our compilation Among The Wildflowers as well as Reckless Yes adorned items such as a quality tea towel!

Over on Bandcamp: recklessyes.bandcamp.com/merch

A hand holds out a light up tambourine in front of a small stage where Danielle and Pete of Pink Opaque are performing

Braved the storm last night to head to The Grove in Nottingham. Vom
Vorton great, Bean Weevil amazingly joyous, and I got to play a light up tambourine while faves @pinkopaque.co.uk covered Sugababes Overload. Pretty perfect gig really 💖

Awesome - thank you! Trying to make sure we finish work in time to head over!

Do you know stage times for tonight?

Reflections on yesterday’s brill #lgcnorth:

- things are harder than ever but there is hope
- everything is about people, not technology
- finally a safe space to be cautious rather than evangelical about AI
- collaboration as one public sector is key

More: www.sarahlay.com/2025/11/week...

Tv screen showing LocalGovCamp North and sponsor logos with view of Leeds behind

View of Leeds city centre from high rise balcony

In Leeds today for LocalGovCamp North - first in a while for me & first as LocalGovDigital Chair! #lgcnorth

Tv screen showing LocalGovCamp North and sponsor logos with view of Leeds behind

View of Leeds city centre from high rise balcony

In Leeds today for LocalGovCamp North - first in a while for me & first as LocalGovDigital Chair! #lgcnorth

Pink Opaque - Bringing Back The Humans (self-released) - popoptica Sheffield futurepop duo Pink Opaque release second single Bringing Back The Humans - an anthem against AI and celebrating the quirkiness of people

We are dead proud of this amazing review of Bringing Back The Humans by @sarahlay.bsky.social 🫶🤖

Check it out eh? 👇
popoptica.com/2025/10/14/p...

Me & Pete share our thoughts about each artist in our new compilation (spoiler: we think they are all great). Thanks to the ace @joyzineuk.bsky.social for the piece

Among The Wildflowers is out now on vinyl, CD & digital!

Out tomorrow, but stream today!

Thanks to @echoesanddust.bsky.social & @echoesanddan.bsky.social for hosting an exclusive stream of the @recklessyes.bsky.social compilation Among The Wildflowers

Ten incredible artists, a whole range of genres. Vinyl & CD over on Bandcamp!

#newmusicmonday

Time to bring my record label @recklessyes.bsky.social back with this ace (if I do say so) compilation

It’s a privilege to celebrate the DIY music scene with these artists 💖

Pre-orders open now 👇🏻 out 7 October 2025

Latest #WeekNote:

- pivoting content strategy to meet customers where they are, even though that’s not on your website anymore
- surviving the corporate immune system as an innovator
- finding happiness every day as the years go by fast

www.sarahlay.com/2025/08/week...

#LocalGovDigital

In my latest #weeknote:

- culture is what we tolerate
- transformation, content strategy, and experiences that aren’t digital by default
- unexpected learning alongside formal study (and a well done to my eldest on his A Level results)

www.sarahlay.com/2025/08/week...

#localgovdigital

Feels like it’s time to get back into the record game…

Look at some of our past releases, ain’t they beauts 😍

A post born of frustration: stop undermining the value of content in your product or services.

Imagine all the content vanished - long-form, mid weight and microcopy all gone. Still think you have a product? I’m not so sure…

www.sarahlay.com/2025/08/we-s...

#contentdesign #localgovdigital

Second consecutive Weeknote!

This week:

- it’s time: empower us to say no to low value work

- what to learn next (recommendations welcome)

- being vulnerable, being resilient

www.sarahlay.com/2025/08/week...

#localgov #localgovdigital #productdesign #weeknote

Did a somewhat therapeutic blog post pondering on why decent digital basics are still the exception in local government.

www.sarahlay.com/2025/08/is-i...

#localgovdigital #digitaltransformation

Cynatope (sun photograph) of dandelion head silhouette on blue background with seeds blowing away

As both of us at Reckless Yes have birthdays today we thought why not start teasing our return as a record label as part of the celebrations…

So here we go…a sneak peek of something coming soon. Find us on Bandcamp, in the shops and all the usual music places to check out our (149) releases so far

Making a return to open working with a 3 thought Weeknote:

- looking at the whole user experience across many touch points
- finding a place in a system and nurturing communities to support and amplify
- getting out of my own way to get back to open working

www.sarahlay.com/2025/08/week...

The front cover of paperback novel The Winter Passing by Sarah Lay. A yellow and white floral pattern against a purple background, with the title and author name written amongst the flowers

Ten years have passed since I wrote the first draft of my novel The Winter Passing.

I’ve since come close to publishing the second book in the series a few times but finally ready to fully commit and share more nonsense I made up in my head with anyone who cares to read it.

Let’s go, I guess

Lovely to meet you too 💖

Eilis Frawley / Pink Opaque / DUCK - Hatch, Sheffield - live review - popoptica As part of a UK and Europe tour in support of debut album Fall Forward Eilis Frawley played Hatch Sheffield on 31 May 2025 alongside Pink Opaque and DUCK

Had a very good time at Hatch in Sheffield last night for lots of electronic noise pop from the wonderful Eilis Frawley, the ever brilliant Duck, and my new favourites @pinkopaque.co.uk

This info but longer and with added pictures and sounds on Popoptica popoptica.com/2025/06/01/e...

Nick Booth (1965-2025) I was going to write something on Facebook, but Nick was a blogger and so this belongs here. I heard this afternoon that my dear friend Nick Booth died yesterday after a fall at the weekend. It&#82…

I lost a dear friend, a most generous soul.

We've all lost a fine blogger, podcaster and community builder.

perfectpath.co.uk/2025/04/16/n...

Good stuff - will tune in!

Electric Pets - Kowtow! (Reckless Yes) - popoptica Electric Pets - the indie rock Derby four-piece fronted by Emma Buckley - release single and music video Kowtow! on Reckless Yes ahead of a new EP later in 2025

Wrote a few lines about the new single from Electric Pets.

Kowtow! captures the bittersweet moment between holding on and letting go then wraps it in a 60s girl pop meets modern indie rock sound

popoptica.com/2025/03/03/e...