John Earls

Childhood and early career

Born on 25 August 1972, Earls grew up in Milton Keynes. His writings were published by Doctor Who Magazine, and ORACLE's Blue Suede Views music magazine, during his teens. Earls started writing professionally following a 1991 work experience placement at football magazine When Saturday Comes, continuing to cover the sport on an infrequent basis as he moved into the realm of entertainment journalism. During the 1990s Earls worked as a showbiz reporter for The Sunday People; he left the newspaper in 1999, becoming a teen entertainment writer for Teletext (the successor to ORACLE).

''Planet Sound'' and beyond

Earls became a critic for Teletext's music magazine, Planet Sound, some 18 months after joining the company. He was named editor in 2001 and held this post until Teletext ceased broadcasting in December 2009. Earls became synonymous with Planet Sound and his work was often cited by other outlets. He gave early exposure to chart bands such as The Twilight Sad, Maxïmo Park and Hope of the States, by featuring their demo tapes in the magazine's review section. The Twilight Sad frontman James Graham expressed his affection for Earls: "I used to read Planet Sound every day... He's a nice guy and I really appreciate the support he gave us."

Earls has interviewed many musicians throughout his career, and has regularly written for magazines such as Classic Pop, the NME and Record Collector. In 2025, he became reviews editor for Classic Pop. Earls' music and football commentary has also appeared in outlets including Newsweek, The Guardian, Drowned in Sound and the Daily Star. He wrote the sleeve notes for the 40th anniversary edition of A Flock of Seagulls' 1982 self-titled debut album, as well as for the Fun Boy Three box set, The Complete Fun Boy Three (2023). Record Collector identifies the 1980s as his specialist era.

Spiked noted the "critical wisdom of John Earls", while remarking upon his "evident knowledge and enthusiasm" for music journalism. He was recognised by Music Week as a "specialist media tastemaker", and was listed by BBC News as an "influential and impartial UK-based music critic". In 2022, Earls won "Best Writer – Specialist" at the BSME Talent Awards, receiving praise for his communication and interview skills. Aside from his writing career, Earls lectures in journalism, and co-founded a record label, WET, in 2009.

In 2009 Earls listed the following albums as ones that music fans should own, besides "the obvious great ones they'd already own":

• Pet Shop Boys – Very
• My Life Story – Mornington Crescent
• The Delgados – The Great Eastern
• The Teardrop Explodes – Wilder
• The National – Alligator

References

References

1. ''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''
2. "John Earls".
3. Earls, John. (April 1987). "To the Tardis: Competent Colin".
4. Coster, Dean. (24 July 2009). "Interview: ''Planet Sound''{{'}}s John Earls".
5. (August–September 2015). "Our Contributors: John Earls".
6. Renshaw, David. (15 December 2009). "Why I'll Miss Teletext's ''Planet Sound''".
7. (13 September 2007). "MCSC: In Case of Fire". [[Strabane Chronicle]].
8. Donnellan, Jimmy. (23 January 2015). "An Interview with The Twilight Sad: 'We Still Have a Lot to Say'".
9. Earls, John. (28 June 2022). "People Want Music from Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar—Not Politics".
10. (July 2025). "Who's Who".
11. Earls, John. (13 May 2022). "Why Free-Kick Vanishing Spray Is Football's Great Modern Invention".
12. Earls, John. (1 November 2014). "Tabloids, Young Fathers and The Mercury Prize's Future".
13. Major, Michael. (8 December 2022). "A Flock of Seagulls Celebrate 40th Anniversary of Self-Titled Debut".
14. Key, Iain. (31 July 2023). "Fun Boy Three: ''The Complete Fun Boy Three'' – Boxset Review".
15. (April 2021). "This Month's Contributors: John Earls".
16. Bowden, David. (20 April 2012). "So Long Ceefax, I Shall Miss You".
17. (14 June 2008). "The Panel".
18. (31 December 2007). "Sound of 2008: The Pundits". [[BBC News]].
19. Harnell, Steve. (29 June 2022). "John Earls Wins Top Industry Award".