The Balla

Image courtesy of This Feeling

The Balla are a four-piece from Liverpool. Their line-up is Harry McKenny (vocals/rhythm guitar), Steven Turnock (drums), Taylor McCallum (lead guitar), Joe Verdin (bass).

This February, they have sold out (with Freight) This Feeling’s coveted Big in 2026 gig in Liverpool.

Let’s see why:

I’m Not A Number

McKenny’s gruff, soulful vocal power, which screams icon in the making, is heightened by McCallum’s ability to channel the brilliance of Liam ‘Skin’ Tyson from Cast.

It’s Richard Ashcroft at his best, chiming timeless orchestration with William Blake poetry.

Paris

Polished, but loitering throughout is a frailty, and an unhinged beast yearning to be set free.

Just two songs in, The Balla are showing signs of the kind of career that will be wild, untameable, and crucially, great!

The Rackets

The Rackets are a four-piece band from Wimbledon. They consist of Tom Farina (Guitar) , Paddy Hodgins (Guitar and lead vocals ) , Darragh Murray (bass & backing vocals), & Liam Roberts (drums), who all met at school.

Let’s see what they have been up to:

Silent Eyes

Ecstatic guitars racing to be free. Hodgins' vocals combine the rough edges of rock ‘n’ roll with enough mainstream flair to elevate the scintillating guitars to the next level.

Thursday Bags

Classic jagged indie licks and character-driven lyrics reignite images of Blur circa ‘Modern Life Is Rubbish’ and the endless possibilities that lay ahead of them.

Another Day

Image courtesy of the band

Another Day are a five-piece band from London. Their lineup consists of Louis Hillier (vocals/guitar), Jonte Hillier (bass), Mitch Fuller (drums), Jake Hardwick (guitar), and Astile Doherty (spoken word/percussion).

To date they have supported Babyshambles, Pete Doherty, and Sports Team.

Let’s see why:

Doghouse Roses

The wayward infectiousness of Tribes and Palama Violets runs through their glorious, shambolic rock n roll. Elevating proceedings is frontman Hillier’s vocal as he strays from the ashened melody of Grant Nicholas (Feeder) to a unique, rampaging potency that no one can match.

An instant classic!

Guilty

The poetic charm of Pete Doherty oozes through this record. Pure, earnest, but crucially, confidence. A knowingness that they’re great and will take you with them percolates throughout.

Click the image below for free tickets to their upcoming Camden gig:

The Martells

Image Credit: Daniel Blake

The Martells are three-piece band from Glasgow who met through open mic nights in the city. They’re made up of Fergus Currie (drums),Mark McKay (lead guitar), and Maxim Lavergne (vocals /guitar).

Let’s check them out:

Cecilla

Distorting the 00s joy of the Bromheads Jackets and Harrisons to a more dystopian groove, The Martells announce themselves with great drama on the indie dancefloor.

McKay’s solo taps into the lo-fi garage of The Strokes but has Britain’s penchant for ecstasy and escapism to take your mind, body and soul to pastures new!

Everything’s Gonna Be Alright

Indie euphoria. Many try, most fail. Not The Martells!

The Memos

Image courtesy of the band.

The Memos are Aaron Spencer’s creative machinations. Hailing from Liverpool, Spencer works with local session players on the live circuit to deliver his vision.

Let’s check his songs out:

Futures Ours to Find

Vocally, frontman Spencer taps into the indie warmth of Little Man Tate’s Jon Windall and the timeless songwriting of Cherry Ghost.

She’s On Her Own

Jarvis Cocker’s social comment rubs shoulders with Rick Witter’s sense of adventure on this epic indie number.

Unflirt

Unflirt is the moniker of Christine, a West London singer-songwriter of Filipino heritage.

Let’s see what she has been up to:

Crush

Lowlight shoegaze and dreampop hailing from the covid19 lockdowns, Senorin captures the human condition of the time with great grace. Alone, lost, but never without hope.

Sea Song

The sound of an artist coming of age. The little psyche nuggets of guitar are almost buried in this track, like a wry or shy smile no one is allowed to see.

Her vocal cadence is at its most free here, evoking the beauty of The Sundays’ Harriet Wheeler.

Hungry

Image courtesy of the band

Hungry are a four-piece band from Cambridge who now reside in Manchester. They’re made up of Jacob Peck (vocals/guitar), Kit Thomas (guitar), Jas Malig (bass), and Stan Rankin (drums).

Having all met at school, and with fervent belief in the band, they all went to university in Manchester to chase the dream.

Let’s see what they have been up to:

Sick of It

Hungry are more than just another angry post-punk band that’s dominated the scene in recent times. Peck’s rapid-fire vocals in the closing stages, coupled with his, Thomas, and Malig’s guitars and basslines rising and falling, show a musicality that will carry their angst far.

Morning Coffee

Boisterous riffs and sardonic lyrics unite on this joyously wry racket.

Death Of The High Street

Image Credit: Oolay Photography

Death Of The High Street are a five-piece band hailing from Derby and Nottingham in the Midlands. Their line-up consists of Scott Baxter (vocals), Ash Simpson (bass), Joe Hodges (drums), Andy Purves (guitar/vocals), and Rhys Davies (guitar/vocals).

After forming in 2015, they released their debut album last year. Let’s check a couple of songs out from it:

Don’t Look into the Sun

Channelling The Specials, they inject the ska scene with the sound of the underclass railing against wealth inequality.

Simpson’s deadly bassline, coupled with Baxter’s aggressive vocal, lends a brutality that will surely breed legions of die-hard fans.

Monster

A record to make films like Tyrannosaur look fluffy. A brutal reckoning of a violent past descending into a similar present. Purves and Davies’ guitars are blessed with the Cobain’s ‘Heart Shaped Box’ violent calmness in the early proceedings before roaring with the power of Spear of Destiny and Theatre of Hate.

Arienas

Image Credit: Jos Rodriguez

Arienas are a four-piece band from Fife in Scotland. The band are made up of Sam Robb (lead vocals/guitar), Colm Souter (lead guitar), Owen McCann (bass guitar), and Pandy (drums) 

2026 is looking very promising already, having sold out their headline show at Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh.

Let’s see why:

Take The Money

An ambitious record from a fledgling band. A band signalling their intentions on outrunning their humble beginnings as fast as possible!

Holy Grail

Merging the 00s Sheffield scene (Arctic Monkeys, Little Man Tate, Reverend & The Makers, Milburn) with the free-flowing rumble of The Rifles, their guitars erupt with joy!

Aurelia

The sound of youth looking to make its mark on a generation.

The Ransoms

Image Credit: Wilf Gill

The Ransoms are a five-piece band from Darlington. The band consists of Elliot Horn (lead singer), Jack Atkinson (lead guitarist), Ollie Coulter (rhythm guitarist), Olly McAvoy (bassist) and Dylan Forster (drums).

Let’s check them out:

Devil’s Temptation

Warped psyche-guitars and rock music’s rebellion join forces, creating a potent tonic that all should sup from.

Frontman Horn’s vocal drifts from light to dark with a rage that demands immediate attention.

Late Nights

Horn’s breathy vocal gives this record vitality. A desperate urgency loiters with debauched intent, one that beckons you to the dark side!  

Lame

Image Credit: Bobbi Studio

Lame are a five-piece band from Northampton now residing in London. They’re made up of Elliot (Vocals, Guitar), Tom (Guitar), Ben (Saxophone, Keys), Harrison (Bass), and Will (Drums).

Elliot and Will are lifelong friends who left their previous bands at similar times. Feeling creatively lost, they shared musical voice notes for a laugh but soon realised there was a spark worth developing. After a spell as a three-piece, they have since progressed into today’s five-piece.

Let’s see what they have been up to:

This Song Is About the Internet

Hypnotic and infectious, they merge the grooves of Serge’s SLP and the mesmerising, estranged indie of Clap Your Hands And Say Year or Los Campesinos!

The clash of the mainstream and the underground is, was, and always will be where great art resides!

Instant Coffee

The raucous howl of early 10’s triumphs Tribes and Palma Violets are given fresh impetus with Lame’s sublime ability to impart wit and charm lyrically.

Max Avoidance

Image courtesy of Max Avoidance

Max Avoidance is the electronic adventures of London via Wales’ Hari Limaye.

Let’s see what he has been up to:

Lightyear

The latest single, produced by Nick Brine (Oasis, Ash, The Darkness, Stereophonics, Stone Roses) at his studio in Wales, has a beautiful weightlessness.

Dreamy, atmospheric, and charting a course to nowhere, Limaye’s imagination will set you free.

Alone

As Limaye’s vocal taps into Chris Keating’s (Yeasayer) high-pitch tones, which lend his brand of electronica and indie-cum-pop prowess.

The Streetlights

The Streetlights are a four-piece band based in Manchester. Their lineup consists of Ryan Wynne (vox & rhythm guitar), Owen Marsh (bass), Matty Garmston (lead guitar), and Max Holmes (drums).

Let’s check out their debut single:

Something More

Tinged with the pure souls of the 90s indie scene, Something More twists and turns with great cinematic presence. Dark twists and turns are met with blasts of hope amid a decaying landscape!

Vocally, Wynne’s beds in between frail power of Andrew Montgomery (Geneva) and the poignant soul of Gary Briggs (Haven), whilst guitarist Garmston harnesses his inner Richard Oakes (Suede).

Together, they could just be the next great songwriting partnership.  

The High Flats

Image courtesy of the band

The High Flats are a five-piece band from the south side of Glasgow. They’re made up of Scott McKigen (vocals), Jai Madden (bass), Thomas Molony (rhythm guitar), Humza Ishaq (drums), and Kerr Ayton (lead guitar).

Having formed five years ago, they played their first gig in 2024 and have since gone on to play the iconic King Tuts Wah Wah Hut.

Let’s check them out:

Revolution

It’s Thin Lizzy’s streetwise freedom, the Beatles’ penchant for melody and Oasis threatening to kick the doors in. A soundtrack for long nights in the pub where the jukebox is still sacred.

Crashing Down

Huge riffs and lo-fi vocals recall QOSTA but, put through the ecstatic prism of British rock ‘n’ roll.

Death-defying guitars and defiant vocals announce The High Flats as serious contenders!

Superdays

Image courtesy of This Feeling

Superdays are a six-piece from South-East London. They consist of Joe Hannen (guitars), Harry Wood (drums), Merlon Blake (bass), Lou Stocks (synths), and Cal Green (vocals).

In the last two years, they have headlined 93 Feet East (London), the Hope & Ruin (Brighton), and next month will support The Lilacs at the Garage.

Let’s see what they have been up to:

Endless Romance

Beset with the iconic affection of Cherry Ghost, this lazy melodic drawl is joyously romantic!

Perfect Moment

Tinged with The Cure and lo-fi guitars, they take you on a bittersweet journey of introspection driven by nostalgia.

Melancholic but always hopeful, the band distil shades of light and dark with an ease that belies their years.