Shining a light on great new music.
Lacross Club
This New Band Spotlight features Bristol based band Lacross Club.
Image Credit: Ashley Evans
Lacross Club are a three-piece band from Wales based in Bristol. They consist of Ozzy (drums), Sean (bass), and Cai (guitar).
This February, they head out on a UK tour including iconic venues such as Elephants Head (Camden), Heartbreakers (Southampton), and The Bunkhouse (Swansea). Let’s check them out:
Spar Song
Full throttle guitars and venomous vocals are destined to erupt onto the guitar scene and shake it into life!
Welsh Weather Heather
Fire-breathing punk-rock from the realms of Soft Play and Bob Vylan that’s hell-bent on a destructive joyride!
Cheap Suits
This New Band Spotlight features London band Cheap Suits.
Image Credit: Chloe Hornby
Cheap Suits are a four-piece from Oxford. They consist of George Parker (vocals / rhythm guitar), Felix Diamond (lead guitar), James Hart (bass), Stan Baker (drums).
This January, they play This Feeling’s coveted Big in 2026 gig in London. Let’s see why:
Poster
Riffs that reach for the glory of Dan Auberch and a rhythm section that stomps a sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll hole into your soul.
Frontman Parker’s voice is fragile enough to allow an underdog romance to swell, but defiant enough to fight back. Diamond’s intricate solo ebbs into a behemoth one and is destined to stun crowds.
Kiss Up
The aggressive intro melts into Parker’s indie vocal, allowing mortals a way into their brand of Strokes-cum-rock ‘n’ roll mayhem.
Click the image below for tickets to their next gig:
ELLiS D
This New Band Spotlight features Brighton artist ELLiS D from Fat Dog.
Image Credit: Freddie Willatt
ELLiS D aka Ellis Dickinson is the solo project of Fat Dog’s drummer.
He is set to play Hello 2026 for DIY Magazine at the Old Blue Last on the 13th January.
Let’s him them out:
Humdrum
Talking Heads on speed. Skittish indie with great drama to set the pulses racing in 2026.
ELLiS has made the more explosive glam-rock moments of Miles Kane’s debut sound like they're falling into a pit of despair, with the Talking Heads and B-52s.
Anything but simple, but glorious!
I Want to be Everything You Desire
An untamed mess to revel in. Raw and unfiltered, ELLiS makes the Talking Heads sound like they’re having a debauched crisis with The Rapture, and they’re all the better for it.
Click the image below for tickets to ELLiS D’s DIY gig:
Alphabet
This New Band Spotlight features London band Alphabet.
Image Credit: Tatiana Ponzuelo
Alphabet are a four-piece band based in London. Lena, Milo, Tom, and George met in Brighton and formed the band in London where they now reside.
They’re set to play Hello 2026 for DIY Magazine at the Old Blue Last on the 6th January. Let’s check them out:
All the Words
The emotive post-punk power of Priestgate oozes through Milo’s vocal and is divinely cut through by Lena's shoegaze delivery.
A raw cacophony that comes at you in waves, which is undeniable.
Motion Sickness
Hints of Fontaines and Shame filter through their expansive shoegaze here. The elongated hook carries such depth, allowing romance, heartache, jealousy, and volatility to mesh in a rousing melting pot.
Click the image below for tickets to their DIY gig this month:
ferb
This New Band Spotlight features London band ferb.
Image Credit: Alyssa Clark
ferb are a four-piece band based in London, Kingston, but met at school and formed the band at sixth form in Cheam. They consist of Harley McKinley (singer/guitar) Ross Blendell (lead guitar) Tom Tye (bass/backing vocals) Joel Boniface (drums/backing vocals)
On the 21st Jan, they are set to play the Elephant’s Head in Camden. Let’s see what they have been up to:
Ocean Floor
The effortlessness, great licks, and power of The Strokes’ ‘Is This It?’ is back!
Raw, unadulterated firepower that captures the volatile beginnings of the 00s.
Marina
Treading the rock classicist path of Wunderhorse, the guitars still manage to cause a frenzy. Laconic licks descend into chaotic thrashes that are one chorus away from catapulting the band to stardom.
Clamber
This New Band Spotlight features London band Clamber.
Image Credit: Tessa Neale
Clamber are a four-piece from London. They’re made up of Charlie, Kieran, Hayden, and Sam.
In the last two years, they have headlined and sold out The Old Blue Last, Camden Assembly (The Barfly), Hoxton Colours, and The Water Rats, which is a fine run of form for a fledgling band.
Let’s check them out:
37
The London outfit’s guitars ripple like shimmering waves of indie joy, crafting an ode to the journey of self-discovery.
Ideas Man
The early 10s saw math rock bands develop their emotional cannon, and ‘Ideas Man’ leaned into this with great joy sonically.
Lyrically, however, they cast grave shadows as they discuss the plight of a band in the era of TikTok.
She’s in Parties
This New Band Spotlight features Essex via London band She’s In Parties.
She’s in Parties are a four-piece from Essex and London. They’re made up of Katie Dillon (vocals/guitar), Herbie Wiseman (guitar), Matt Carman (drums), and Charlie Johnson (bass).
*image credit: Polocho
They’re set to play Hello 2026 for DIY Magazine at the Old Blue Last on the 13th January. Let’s check them out:
Velveteen
A glorious nod to early Wolf Alice. Escapist shoegaze, ethereal vocals that lend buoyancy that could keep heads afloat at the bleakest of times.
Are You Dreaming?
Taken from the new EP, the band dives into Depeche Mode, The Cure, and early Madonna on this challenging guitar-cum-pop record.
Click the image below for tickets to their DIY gig this month:
Croíthe
This New Band Spotlight features Dublin band Croíthe.
Croíthe (kree-ha) are a four-piece band hailing from Dublin. They’re made up of Caodán (vocals, guitar) Ben (guitar) Frances (bass) and Keevy (drums).
Let’s take a look at two tracks from their debut EP ‘A Brief Respite’, produced by Just Mustard’s David Noonan:
Feed My Head
Ecstatic youthful energy pummelled through snarling guitars and Ian Curtis-esque vocals. They twist and turn from pain to euphoria, with the potential to be era-defining in poise.
I Heard, I Saw
Anguish-ridden brilliance!
The howling distortion of the guitars unleashes a world of pain and turmoil for a new generation of outsiders to clutch to their souls and call their own.
Modern Guilt
This New Band Spotlight features London band Modern Guilt.
Modern Guilt are a five-piece band based in Camden but with roots in Scotland, Sweden, London and the South Coast. They’re made up of Jaz (lead vocals/guitar), Andreas (guitars/backing vocals/keys), Scott (drums/backing vocals/percussion), Mikey (guitars/producer), and Marc (bass)
*banner image credit: Keith Duffy
The single launch for You Know You Are back in May sold out at Paper Dress Vintage in London. Let’s check it out:
You Know Who You Are
The effortless cool of The Strokes is forged alongside the playfulness of Supergrass. From Jagger to Coombes to Casablancas (The Strokes), frontman Jaz Struts with a self-assuredness and the kind of care-free abandon that made the aforementioned instant stars in bygone times.
Counterproducts
This New Band Spotlight features Yorkshire band Counterproducts.
Counterproducts are a five-piece band hailing from Goole in Yorkshire. They consist of Josh (vocals), Milo (lead guitar), Lilli (rhythm guitar with backing vocals), Sonia, and Evan.
Still just teenagers, they have only released two singles. Let’s check them out:
Battleships
Frontman Josh reaches into Wunderhorse’s soul and rips out a sublime vocal. The kind that hammers away at the heartstrings until they bleed!
Pushing rock music forward are Milo’s beastly riffs that howl into the ether desperate for a place to fit in and soon, they shall!
Lilli’s vocals are less a backing accompaniemtn and more duel to Josh’s lead. With Charlotte Cooper’s (The Subways) spirit in her heart, she deploys a joyously antongnistic counter to Josh’s penchant for the heartfelt.
Running Down the Clock
As if ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ was reimagined by a supergroup of Wunderhorse, Foo Fighters, and Thin Lizzy. Grit, groove, and glorious chaos.
Raw, primal, and animalistic, Rock music has found its newest icons!
ALCHMEY
This New Band Spotlight features Derbyshire band ALCHMEY.
ALCHMEY are a five-piece from Derbyshire made up of brothers Peter (Lead singer) and Phil (Bass), Ollie (Guitar), Tom (Guitar) and Brad (Drums).
*image credits: Crossfield Content.
Let’s check them out:
Euphoria
The rolling hills of Kula Shaker and Paul Draper-esque (Mansun) vocals ooze their way to hearts and minds before sharp, snappy vocals cut through.
From the expansive to the immediate, ALCHMEY take chances and moulds the disparate together.
What We Made It For
What begins as sombre, melts away to indie lullaby status come the chorus. The seeds of something big that can unite big crowds have been sewn.
The Daltons
This New Band Spotlight features Leeds band The Daltons.
The Daltons are a four-piece from Yorkshire. They’re made up of Lucas Lorrimer (guitar & vocals), Alfie Hedges (guitar & vocals), Jamie Edwards (drums), and Charlie O’Brien (bass).
*banner image credit: Mike Hamp (Mike’s Photography__)
Let’s check them out.
Lazy People Seek Comfort (Prospect Studios Rehearsal)
The sound of wayward souls finding purpose through rock ’n’ roll. There's a warming brutality to their jagged edges. The kind that will stop you looking to the past!
Raw, unadulterated, and unchained, the Daltons have arrived!
Jagged edges cut through the noise, raw and unpolished, just the way truth should sound. Then comes the solo — wild, unchained, burning with the kind of intensity that could set the night on fire.
Fly Off The Handle (Prospect Studios Rehearsal)
The echoes of the greats loiter but never loom. The Daltons have found a way to nudge rock ‘n’ roll’s wheel forwards and create majestic havoc!
Whiskey Promise
Exhilarating rock ‘n’ roll! Death or Glory. Do or Die. Live Forever. This is the sound of a band catching fire!
Daydreamers
This New Band Spotlight features London band Daydreamers..
Daydreamers are a four-piece from London. They’re made up of Riley (vocalist), Aurora (bass), Jay (drums), and Marco (guitar).
To date, they have toured with Sea Girls and have graced festival stages at The Great Escape, Latitude, TRNSMT, and Reading & Leeds.
Let’s see what they have been up to:
We Don’t Need to Do Forever
The crisp pop sensibilities of Blossoms combine with the early 10s indie of Bombay Bicycle Club and latter-day Courteeners to create a lush counterpoint to the current guitar scene.
This is sure to cut through!
Good Intentions
A master class in lo-fi reflective indie. Pulling on heartstrings, offering hope through examining the past, it’s what indie guitars were born to do!
Call Me Up
A runaway success on Spotify! With over 13 million streams, it’s easy to see why. Slick basslines and ethereal guitars are destined to soundtrack summers forevermore.
Red Light Camera
This New Band Spotlight features Birmingham band Red Light Camera.
Red Light Camera are a four-piece band hailing from Birmingham.
*banner image courtesy of This Feeling
Earlier this year they played the Isle of Wight Festival and are set to headline Dead Wax in their home city on the 25th October.
Let’s see what they have been up to:
Heartbreak Girl
Boisterous jingle-jangle guitars and infectious vocals unite on this free and easy indie single. The angelic side of Dodgy links arms with the frivolity of The Lathums on this infectious gem.
Round the Corner
The indie-funk of The Clause, the immediacy of Franz Ferdinand, and the spirit of ‘Fake Tales of San Francisco’ combine before the guitars erupt to a chaotic climax.
Click the image below for tickets to the Dead Wax show:
shortstraw.
This New Band Spotlight features Coventry band Shortstraw.
Hailing from Coventry shortstraw. are led by punk-poet Erin West. Championed by Hak Baker, they’ve already supported The Libertines and Soft Play.
Let’s check them out:
Dot Cotton
Sound the alarm, punk, grime, and nu-rave unite on this guttural anthem. Small in stature, massive in cultural capital, shortstraw. have delivered a vicious reset to the alternative music scene.
Sods Law
The rousing rumble of Jamie T and the undercurrents of Dan le Sac vs Scroobious Pip are lit up by West’s vocal. It may lack the heavyweight sonic of ‘Dot Cotton’, but it’s drowning in bullish resilience to keep it interesting.
Sodden Pelt
This New Band Spotlight features London band Sodden Pelt.
Sodden Pelt are a London based five-piece consisting of Paddy Hornby (guitar/ lead vocals), Matt Broadbent (guitar), Mike Hinchcliffe (bass), Miranda Gray-Aragoneses (violin), and Tom Griffiths (drums).
*banner image credit: Spela
image credit: Spela
What began as Hornby’s solo project during the pandemic quickly evolved into a full band. Within a year, they were regularly rehearsing at their shared home in Lewisham.
Let’s see what they have been up to:
Honey For A Doctor
They’ve taken past several years of post-punk and pummelled it through a prism of gutter-folk music to churn something new and beautifully disgusting.
Ragged and deranged, frontman Hornby evokes the spirit of Nick Cave, the purity of Pete Doherty, and the violence of Mark E Smith.
A Struggling Afternoon
Melodically far more fluid, but they manage so many twists and turns it could also be a mini folk-rock opera. Hornby’s vocal recalls the gothic mayhem of Faris Badwan (The Horrors) and the poetry of Nick Cave as the band takes you on a rapid-fire cinematic journey to the gates of despair.
Niall Logue
This New Band Spotlight features London-based singer-songwriter Niall Logue.
London-based singer-songwriter Niall Logue embarked on a solo career in 2025. Logue used to front the criminally underrated Lacuna Bloome in the ‘10s and lit up shows for us at the New Cross Inn and This Feeling at Nambucca.
image credit: Scot Hall
He has been working closely with Bess Atwell producer Michael Smith on his upcoming debut album ‘The Oh So Sonic Sound-Wave’.
Let’s see what he has been up to:
From the Heart
Older and wiser, Logue professes “I don’t wanna turn back time” but his ability to turn a paisley guitar groove remains prominent.
Reflective, melancholic, and with the woozy spoken word of James Yorkston now infiltrating his songwriting, Logue’s new sound pulls from a much richer tapestry.
Out of Hand
Church organs lend this melody a joyous, soaringly righteous sonic. Logue serves up twists and turns a galore on this elegant moonlit slice of majesty.
Peace of Mind
Big in heart like Embrace but with the introspective precision of Andy Bell and the thoughtful nodes of Low.
Bendricks
This New Band Spotlight features Barry band Bendricks.
Bendricks are a four-piece from Barry in Wales. They’re made up of Mitch Griggs (lead singer / rhythm guitar), Dom Griggs (lead guitar / backing vocals), Rhys Greening (bass), and Aaron Abraham (drums).
Formed just over a year ago, Bendricks began as a spark of inspiration from lead singer Mitch, whose passion for songwriting led him to recruit close friends. Greening was instructed to join the band and ask for a bass for Christmas despite having zero experience. It wasn’t until Mitch’s brother joined on lead guitar that band was fully realised. Now, where have we heard that dynamic before?
Let’s see what they have been up to:
Listerine
The early playfulness of Blur is injected with aggression on this firesome single. Hints of early Kasabian ooze through Mitch’s vocal whist Greening’s basslines groove to a place between the recent wave of post-punk and early 00s US indie.
Missile Talk
Mitch Griggs’ vocal cadence has found its feet here. From the poetic to the spiteful, Griggs wraps his distinct delivery around his brothers’ guitars with a unique guile.
Brother Dom’s skill set has also expanded. His solo on ‘Listerine’ was raw; now, it's intensely divine!
Laughter
This New Band Spotlight features London band Laughter.
Laughter are a five-piece from London. They’re made up of Frank (guitar), Lou (guitar), Mai (vocals), Marky (bass), Roddy (drums).
The band began when Frank and Lou started experimenting with Ableton, creating beats before transitioning into rock music and eventually forming the band.
Let’s see what we’ve been up to:
The Wheel
MBV meets Tame Impala on this mesmerising slice of shoegaze. Everytime they threaten to spin off into MBV’s crushing fog, Kevin Parker’s influence drags toward the light with Mai’s eloquent vocals.
The guitars from Lou and Frank in the closing stages bring the best of Black Keys to the equation, giving their rock-cum-shoegaze the magic ingredient.
Group Bonding
The leather-clad rebellion of BRMC locks horns the distorted visions of Working Mens Club as shades of light and dark collide.
Mai’s vocal seeps into the soul with the restorative and life-affirming charm of Miki Berenyi. Effortlessly graceful!
Slumber
This New Band Spotlight features East London band Slumber.
Slumber is a band based in East London. Alex (also known as Standish – vocals), Luke Whorriskey (guitar), Isabella Eggen (synths), Bailey Heslop (guitars), Pip Russon (bass), and Sam Meredith (drums) met after attending gigs and realised their shared sense of isolation and unique optimism could lead to better things.
*image courtesy of the band
Let’s see what they have been up to:
Days Like These
What Wunderhorse started, Slumber look set to catapult further. Graceful pop instincts, chaotic dirge-ridden guitars and teenage angst lyrics catch fire on this divine outsider anthem.
1993
Whorriskey, Heslop, and Egan serve up distorted guitars and warped keys, allowing Alex’s Tony Wright-esque (Terrorvision) vocal to give them their most radio-friendly single to date.
Julian Casablancas (I Wanna Rock a Pair Like)
A joyous ode to a time when bands rocked skinny jeans and converse with a fag in one hand and a red strip in the other!
Their lo-fi garage-cum-indie rock has the carefree abandon that can only come from youth and tight friendships. Loose, knowing, and freeing, they seem to be on to a sure thing!