NEWS
It has been reported that Kate Cassidy, the girlfriend of the late Liam Payne, has been affected by her decision to leave the singer two days prior to his death.
The solo artist and former One Direction member died on Wednesday (October 16), following a fatal fall from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Argentine prosecutor’s office has revealed that the 31-year-old’s cause of death was due to multiple traumas and internal and external bleeding.
Cassidy previously paid tribute to her boyfriend in an Instagram story in which she wrote: “Thank you for all of the kind words and love that has been sent my way. I have been at a complete loss. Nothing about the past few days have felt real. I ask and pray that you’ll give me the grace and space to navigate this in private.”
She ended her message by sharing: “Liam, my angel. You are everything. I want you to know I loved you unconditionally and completely. I will continue to love you for the rest of my life. I love you Liam.”
Now, according to the New York Post, a close friend of Cassidy’s told the publication that her decision to leave Payne in Argentina two days prior to his tragic death has tormented her. “She did what she needed to do at the time. She had no idea what was going to happen. I can tell you that her decision will haunt her for the rest of her life,” the source said.
Cassidy and Payne’s trip to Argentina was supposed to only last for days but the New York Post shared that the ‘Strip That Down’ singer had allegedly kept asking Cassidy to extend the trip, making their stay in the country a total of two weeks before she decided to head home to Miami.
“She wanted to be home in her own bed with her dog. She wanted to come home,” the source told the outlet, adding: “She feels bad. Everyone in her life is saying that it’s not her fault. You can’t babysit a 30-year-old grown man 24/7/365. But she’s not yet in a place to hear that.”
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Payne reportedly had pink cocaine and several other substances in his system at the time of his fatal balcony fall. Sources told ABC News that results of a partial autopsy showed he had “pink cocaine” – a drug typically made up of a mix of substances including methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA and others – as well as cocaine, benzodiazepine and crack in his system. The report went on to allege that a makeshift aluminium pipe had been recovered from the hotel room he was staying in at the time.
It has been reported that the Buenos Aires police department have raided the CasaSur hotel in search of further evidence.
Payne’s death has triggered conversations about putting more protections in place for young artists, with songwriter Guy Chambers calling on the music industry to stop putting minors in boybands following his passing. Payne was 14 when he first auditioned for the X Factor, and 16 when he became a member of One Direction during the show’s 10th season.
Elsewhere, Sharon Osbourne also accused the music industry of “letting down” Payne, writing in an Instagram post: “Liam, my heart aches. We all let you down. Where was this industry when you needed them? You were just a kid when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world. Who was in your corner? Rest in peace my friend.”
Katie Waissel, who competed alongside One Direction on the talent show, has since called for more “care and support for young artists”. Similarly, Rebecca Ferguson, who finished in second place on the same season of the show, paid tribute to Payne while also speaking out against the “exploitation and profiteering of young stars.”
Bruce Springsteen has also said that the music industry puts “enormous pressures on young people” in the wake of Payne’s death, while Victoria Canal shared that, as an artist who feels “desperate” to achieve the success that Payne once had, feels duped by “the promise of what ‘success’ in this industry is.”
A new petition has since been launched, calling for a new law to safeguard the mental well-being of artists in the music industry. The petition has surpassed over 100,000 signatures.
NEWS
Fontaines D.C. members Carlos O’Connell and Tom Coll have been behind the production of the forthcoming second album from French indie outfit Film Noir. To introduce the project, the band has unveiled the paired singles ‘VIENS TIENS TOI’ and ‘VEGITA’, which you can listen to below.
The Fontaines D.C. guitarist and drummer worked alongside Film Noir at La Frette Studios just outside Paris. The renowned recording space is also where Arctic Monkeys created their two most recent albums, ‘Tranquillity Base…’ and ‘The Car’.
O’Connell is partnered with Film Noir vocalist Joséphine de La Baume, who is also known for her work as an actor, filmmaker and model. Together, they share two children, with their first child serving as the inspiration for Fontaines’ 2025 track ‘It’s Amazing To Be Young’.
Reflecting on the project while announcing his role in the album, O’Connell shared on social media: “In early 2020 I walked into a gig in a club in Paris and was introduced to a band called Film Noir. I fell in love with the singer, I went on to make babies with her to to fall in love twice again with them.
“A little while back myself, [Coll] and @filmnoirmusic went to La Frette and recorded their upcoming record.”
The guitarist continued: “Producing this record was one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve had. Blessed to have so many. This album means the world to me & I hope it’ll mean something to many more.”
Film Noir have offered an early look at the still untitled album through the release of ‘VIENS TIENS TOI’ and ‘VEGITA’. O’Connell handled production duties on both tracks, while Coll contributed drums. O’Connell also took care of mixing on ‘VEGITA’.
Opening with a light acoustic arrangement, ‘VIENS TIENS TOI’ gradually unfolds into a dreamy sound shaped by shoegaze influences. In contrast, ‘VEGITA’ leans into a brighter, surf inspired feel that complements de La Baume’s floating vocal performance.
The group has also released a behind the scenes video capturing moments from the recording sessions for their sophomore album, which can be viewed below. At this stage, no official release date has been announced.
Back in spring 2020, O’Connell collaborated with Film Noir on a rendition of Lee Hazlewood’s ‘For A Day Like Today’ (via LiveForever). When the track arrived, the band described the guitarist as “a great supporter of the European rock scene and a common friend”.
Film Noir first emerged with their debut EP, ‘Vertiges (Men Of Glory)’, in 2019, followed by ‘Tendrement’ a year later. Their first full length album, ‘Palpitant’, arrived in 2022.
Outside of music, Joséphine de La Baume portrayed Marie in the 2011 film adaptation of One Day alongside Anne Hathaway. She has also appeared in Apple TV’s The New Look and the Polish period feature Chopin, a Sonata in Paris.
O’Connell also produced the self titled debut album from Dead Dads Club, the new project led by former Palma Violets singer Chilli Jesson. Released in 2026, that record was also created at La Frette Studios.
Speaking with NME earlier this year, O’Connell explained that the French studio “feels like a home”. He continued: “There’s nothing about it that feels corporate or constrained by time. My mind goes into this creative mode in which I can hear things in a certain way, and it doesn’t stop until I leave the building.”
Jesson also spoke about the experience, saying: “It was really organic. Carlos, on one of the tours we were on together, was working on a Film Noir album, and he was always mixing it and playing around with sounds. He’d just come out of the studio at La Frette and to see that process, with the production, I was like, ‘Holy shit.’ I’d been in a world where it was all on the computer, and then suddenly he’s talking about a fucking bass drum that’s two metres long.’”
More recently, Fontaines D.C. contributed music to the soundtrack for Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. The band also appeared on the collaborative charity release ‘Help(2)’, which supports War Child.
The group are preparing to return to the stage this summer for their first performances in nearly a year, beginning with three headline concerts in Spain before taking on their first ever top billing appearances at Reading & Leeds 2026.
Their schedule also includes a headline performance at Electric Picnic in Ireland, alongside appearances at European and American festivals including Frequency, La Route du Rock and Shaky Knees.
Discussing new material with NME at the beginning of the year, O’Connell revealed: “We’ve been writing, it’s been fun. We’re at [Reading & Leeds] and there are a couple of shows before that. I think if the music is there, it could get busy.”
Asked whether any fresh songs could appear during the Reading & Leeds performances, he responded: “I’d say so. If there is stuff written, then I would say so, yeah. That’s what we used to do all the time, play the new stuff live, songs that weren’t even finished. It’s a good way to test the songs.”
O’Connell was also asked whether elements of the visual production from the ‘Romance’ era might carry over into the band’s 2026 shows. “I think ‘Romance’ was so intense in every [way]… the visual, the production, the setlist… It wasn’t just about the music,” he explained.
“It’s almost a bit of the identity of the band now, but I guess that’s the decision to make. Does that become the identity of the band, or actually, it’s just a phase and you reinvent it? I don’t know.”
He went on to add: “I personally like the idea of revisiting some old stuff at Reading & Leeds, making the setlist maybe a bit more ‘Dogrel’ heavy. I’m excited about that. I’ve been listening to music like that much more. This morning I was listening to Sonic Youth. I want to go [in] that direction, but we’ll see, because anything could happen now, literally anything.”
‘Romance’ ultimately secured the Number Two spot on NME‘s list of the 50 best albums of 2024, finishing just behind Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’.
