The Mezz

The Mezz are a four-piece hailing from Oxford consisting of Ben (lead vocals and guitar), Charlie (drums), Joe (guitar), and Mikey (bass).

*banner image courtesy of Longevity PR. Credit: Chloe Melissa

‘Avoid The Panic’ Ep will AWAL

 In 2023, they gained notoriety with their singles ‘Bridges’, ‘Chasing Love’, and ‘Jump To Fly’. Coursing through them all was a unifying sense of love, which, after drummer Charlie’s cancer scare, should come as no surprise. The Mezz have been through the mill physically and emotionally but have emerged victorious.

Today, they released the ‘Harbour The Feeling’ lead single from their upcoming EP ‘Avoid The Panic’ (released on 8th March). Let’s take a look:

Harbour The Feeling

It’s hard not to take in Charlie’s health on this tale of self-realisation and embracing life. From the first euphoric lick to the angelic guitar breakdown, a zest for life pulsates through it. Many attempt the heartfelt anthem; only those with integrity emblazoned in their hearts can deliver them. The Mezz are said band!

Click the image below for tickets for their Manchester gig for This Feeling’s Big In 2024:

Combat Sports

Combat Sports are a three-piece from the sleepy village Rowhedge in Colchester, Essex. They formed in 2022 when Jon Swift (Guitar/vocals) and Jonny Hicks (Drums) moved into neighbouring houses and began a bromance over their shared love of 90’s alt-rock. Completing the line-up is fellow villager Pepe Perez on bass.

*image courtesy of the band.

They recently caught our attention on the BBC Introducing Cambridge and Essex show, so we’re here to check their tracks out:

Social Falacy

Swift’s 90s-tinged vocals snarl with visceral intent as his guitars howl into the night with devastation their only aim. Hicks’ drums resound with destruction as this heavy-hitting grunge anthem powers up the sense for the new year!

Breadcrumb Kisses

Their instinct for a great pop-punk melody and vocal slide into focus here. Heartfelt and melodic, ‘Breadcrumb Kisses’ leans into a po-punk sonic, but its heartfelt melody and vocals lend themselves a timeless quality that demands intense adoration.  

Click the image below for tickets to their Independent Venue Week gig:

The 76 Club

Hailing from Burton, The 76 Club takes its name from the infamous club that once stood on their high street.

Image credit: Kiera Street

Initially, the band formed as just Riley Gillard (drums) and Joel Colmey (lead guitar). Then, through mutual friends, they recruited Rocco Jones (bass), Harry Barlow (rhythm guitar), and Anna Milne (vocals).

Let’s See what they have been up to:

Envy You

The debut single glistens with a moonlight loneliness. Milne and Colmey’s connection emanates from the dreampop majesty of The Sundays until they decide to put the hammer down! Then, the power of Stevie Knicks and Patti Smith’s rock classism burns bright!  

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Beside Myself

Their second single adopts a more Alt-rock approach with elements of Duke Erikson (Garbage) bass playing strutting front and centre. Milne’s vocals begin to soar with the raw power of Lissy Taylor!

Click the image below for tickets to their next gig:

JEEBO

JEEBO are a five-piece band from London made up of George Clark (lead vocals and guitar), Marlon Hodges (guitar & bass), Jordan Russell (sax & bass), Frankie Golding (drums & keys/synths), Esme Ashby (drums & vocals).

Let’s see what they have been up to:

Monster

With Blossoms’ pop sensibilities and Lock-In’s ability to raise temperatures, JEEBO deliver a wayward indie-pop gem. There’s a great sense of performance oozing from frontman Clark. His cadence serves up a theatrical playfulness which walks the line of quirky guitar pop and deranged post-punk with great poise.

The Watch

Hints of The Wannadies and Graham Coxon at his introspective best as they deliver a far more downtempo sonic. For a fledgeling band to do so, and be engaging shows there’s a power to their songwriting that belies their youth.

So Good

We recently caught So Good supporting the righteous King Blues at Chinnerys in Southend. Nothing can prepare you for their live presence. Sexed up, ironic, hilarious punk rock polemic from the dream fusion of Veruca Salt and Cher Horowitz. They transcended music with their performance, and it was a performance. Even their dance routines oozed rebellion!

On record, they allow for depth of sound and textures to infiltrate, which will surely give them the longevity they deserve.

Let’s explore those sounds:

I Hate it Here

Jamie T guitars combine with the adventurous production of Idles’ ‘Ultra Mono’ to soundtrack this single written for Rishi Sunak.

The brat-pop of her live show still prevails to give you the live connection but there are moments of joyous pop music colliding with lyrical couplets few can compete with:

“I wanna hear a song about Roe vs Wade / You ain’t stopped abortion, just safe abortion”

If I Had A…

Salt-n-Pepa for this generation! We defy you not to laugh aloud and then scramble to the internet to learn the words by heart.

Toxic masculinity given the ridicule it so richly deserves. Live, So Good comes alive on this song. The struts, the knowing looks, and allowing the “dick” is as laugh-out-loud funny as it is culturally important.

Click the image below for tickets to So Good’s tour:

The Matchbox

The Matchbox began in Hull as frontman and rhythm guitarist Harrison Norton’s vision before moving to Manchester. It is here he met Frank Bradshaw (bass & backing vocals), Matthew Woodcock (drums), and Will Lloyd (lead guitarist) at University.

Image credits Jac Armstrong

They have been catching the eye since supporting The K’s, King No-One, and The Clause. Let’s check out some tracks:

Closure

If Lloyd can top this solo in his career, then The Matchbox will have become a stadium-filling national treasure! The destruction, emotional devastation, and sheer relief of escape he pummels into it is the sound of nihilism becoming heroic!

Moulin Rouge

Making The Cure sound epically intense a la Echo & The Bunnymen! The power of these guitars, alongside the heartfelt snarl of Norton’s vocals, is a songwriting partnership to kill for!

Twin City

Welsh brothers Louis (Vocals/Guitar) and Toby Ellis (Drums), Conor Feeney (Bass), and Pete Refson (Guitars) reside in Bristol and have been making waves already!

They sold out their debut gig in 24 hours, resulting in a venue upgrade which then led to a coveted support slot with The Lathums. They’ve also supported The Royston Club, The K's, The Coral, Bilk, The Lightning Seeds, Gallus, Sea Power.

*image credit Iwan Jones

Let’s examine why:

These Days

A visceral call to arms! Louis and Pete’s guitars brood with danger, and that erupts into a glorious, violent streak in the solo. The sound of a band becoming vital!

Solid Gold

As hefty as an Oasis comeback single a la ‘Hindu Times’, ‘Lyla’, and ‘Shock of the Lightning’. Crucially though, its’s bursting at the seams with youthful exuberance that threatens to spill over into excess. Exhilarating death-defying rock ‘n’ roll!

Click the image below for tickets to see Twin City at This Feeling’s Big in 2024 show in Cardiff:

Jonny Ash

Jonny Ash are a Wrexham four-piece consisting of brothers Callum and Dan Gaughran (frontman and bassist, respectively), lead guitarist Peter Roberts and skin-slapper Lewis Molyneux.

Artwork courtesy of This Feeling.

The last few years have seen them support and work with The Sherlocks, The Ks, and Shaun Ryder. After their last single ‘House Music’ received support from Radio X icon John Kennedy, 2024 looks set to be their break-out year.

*banner image courtesy Kelly Heath

Let’s see what they have been up to:

House Music

Blessed with a breathtaking do-or-die attitude, it conjures images of Arctic Monkeys exploding onto the scene. Molyneux’s drumming is relentless, causing Utterly relentless, allowing Roberts’ snarling psyche guitars to bristle with confrontation In an ecstatic game-changing moment of rock ‘n’ roll.

Rosies

As John Squire makes his triumphant return to rock ‘n’ roll with LG, ‘Rosies’ howling blasts of psyche demand that he allows the spotlight to be shared. Some licks fade into the ether; Roberts’ playing here destroys the ether with astonishing poignancy.

Callum’s vocals sprinkle an everyman quality over the otherworldly guitar parts—his heart and desperation to find meaning anchor Roberts's scintillating work.

Wull

Formed in 2021 and residing (but not from) in Liverpool, Ben Coles (vocals), Ethan Tyler (guitar),  John Carter (guitar), Jim Green (bass), and Oscar Hellewell (drums) are Wull.

In 2023, they released their debut EP and stole the show at This Feeling’s showcase at the iconic Camden venue Good Mixer last summer.

*image courtesy of the band & This Feeling.

Let’s check out a couple of tracks from their EP:

Take Me There

Every generation has a band to light up the passing of time against our hopes and dreams. In 2024, Wull looks destined to be that band:

“If time tries to race me, how far will I run?”

Eloquent and melancholic but always hopeful, they seek progress through their moonlit guitars. In the closing stages, Coles shows teeth vocally to allow dreams of new post-punk heroes filling academy venues to emerge.

Chasing The Feeling

Intense, brooding post-punk basslines and guitars collide in a shroud of fury. Coles vocal snarls with a venom that demands a serious degree of attention!

Click the image below for tickets to their This Feeling Big in 2023 show:

Lime Garden

Brighton's four-piece Lime Garden is made up of Chloe Howard (vocals & rhythm guitar), Leila Deeley (lead guitar), Tippi Morgan (bass), and Annabel Whittle (drums).

*image courtesy of Jono Wite

They recently announced their debut album ‘One More Thing’ will be released on the legendary So Young Records on February 16th. Let’s see what they have been up to:

Love Song

The effortless cool of New Young Pony Club, CSS, and Ladytron is reimagined on this ode to worthlessness and falling in love. Slick indie-sleaze electro swoons around Howard’s divine vocal.

I Want To Be You

Angelic Phil Spector girl-group vocals yearn for stardom and company on this lo-fi Yeah Yeah Yeahs tale of teenage fantasy.

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming UK tour:

The Outers

The Outers are a four-piece hailing from London. They’re made up of Ade (Vocals), Phil (Guitar), Luca (Drums), Clare (Bass), and Avery (Guitar). They have been making a name for themselves in South East London playing to packed audiences at the iconic Amersham Arms in New Cross.

*image courtesy of Rocklands TV

Let’s see what they have been up to:

Strings

Lo-fi indie licks that nestle between Sea Power’s moonlight meanders, and Thirteen Senses romanticism form a poetic backdrop for Ade’s Skin meets Lily Rae (Fightmilk) vocal.

Tinges of Eurythmics via Bloc Party emerge in the middle eight before a sumptuous solo blows the cobwebs away.

First Sight

Ade’s vocal delivery is blessed with great drama here. Toying with emotion, tone, and shades of light and dark on a career-best vocal. Meanwhile, Phil and Avery’s searching math rock licks stray into the realm of Foals’ classic ‘Spanish Sahara’ album before the power of Desperate Journalist filters into the joyous climax.

The Avelles

The Avelles are a five-piece from Leeds consisting of Charlie Miller, Ethan Shaw, Joseph Priestly, Patrick Doherty and William Priestly. Joe, Ethan, and Charlie met at school and began playing covers during lockdown. Patrick asked to join as their drummer before Joe recruited his brother Will on bass to complete the line-up.

*image courtesy of David Farndale

They had some 2023 selling out the Oporto, playing Y Not Festival, and releasing their debut ‘Somebody, Somewhere’.

Let's check out what they have been up to:

10:45

The notion of a band of brothers is lit up again on this Shambolics via The Lathums jingle-jangle slice of indie nirvana. The sound of being young and defiant is wrapped up in three minutes of joyous alt-pop.

Honestly

The EP opener witnesses the band in a far more serious mood as the bitterness begins to brood. The guitars take the work Afflecks Palace to a much darker place. There’s an urgency and desperation to ‘Honestly’ which takes from just another indie band to a place of serious contenders.

Click the image below for tickets to their This Feeling Big in 2024 show

The Zebecks

Hailing from the Elgin in Scotland’s North East, the band have relocated to Glasgow for the past three years. Hayden Peace (vocals/guitar), Dan Oshanter (lead vocals/guitar), Max Robertson (bass), and Aiden Smith (drums) met at primary school and formed the band at the tail of end of secondary school.

*image courtesy of Daniel Blake

Let’s see what they have been up to:

Breakthrough

Oshanter’s vocals lean into the American escapism of Brian Fallon (Gaslight Anthem) and Will Sheff (Okkeril River), setting this anthem ablaze.

There’s a beautiful naivete coursing through it. The kind that only hopeful, angst-ridden youthful desperation can carry. As Oshanter decrees, “It’s a lie that we’re ever getting old” the post-punk of Idlewild and the pop-punk of The Ataris unite in a glorious moment of teenage fantasy.

Killing Time

As playful as the Talking Heads and as defiant as The Fall, The Zebecks set off on a Modern Lovers adventure which all must follow! Robertson’s funk and Oshanter’s ability to toy with his cadence make The Zebecks the most creative art-rock band since Franz Ferdinand.

The Now

The Now are a four-piece hailing from Swansea consisting of Shane Callaghan (rhythm guitar & lead vocals), Will Scott (drums), Callum Bromage (guitar & vocals), and Jay Evans (bass guitar & vocals).

*banner image courtesy of Trew Management LTD

As they gear up for the release of their new single ‘Live & Die’, we check out what they have been up to recently:

Get Out

Callaghan’s vocal cadence brings Jonny Yerrel (The Reytons) and Jon McClure (Reverend & The Makers) to the fore. Callaghan’s storm-the-gates attitude cuts through the Kasabian glam rock tinged guitars allowing the electronic drop to take a volatile hold.

Holy

Thunderous riffs worthy of the Black Lips soar with hedonism and nose-dive with destruction to wreck the soul twice over!

If ‘Shoot The Runner’ had been written by Black Sabbath!

Subterrania

Subterrania are a four-piece from South Wales. They’re made up of Dylan Cai (vocals), Fin Roach (guitar), Jamie Tooze (bass), and Luis Hancock (drums).

Let’s see what they have been up to:

Shine

Image & artwork courtesy of the band & This Feeling.

A great boozy record is long overdue. ‘Shine’ is that single. The freeness of The Bluetones’ ‘Cut Some Rug’ is folded into the noise and confusion of Oasis and the debauched romanticism of the Longpigs.

Frontman Cai has an innate ability to inject melody into his inflections which lifts them above the ‘Definitely Maybe’ wannabees of this generation. Hancock’s ferocious drumming allows an urgency to build despite the deceptively slow tempo of a ‘Columbia’ or ‘Step Into My World’.  

With Pastel set to play their biggest London date at the Garage next April, Subterrania have announced themselves as the perfect support band with this record.

Benidorm

The debut single comes with great ambition. Bigg riffs and a Machiavellian solo unite to try and stun the world! Whilst laudable, it doesn’t land as much as ‘Shine’. However, the journey from this to ‘Shine’ is one of such stark improvements that it makes Subterrania’s journey unmissable.

Humour

Humour are a five-piece from Edinburgh but forged in Glasglow whilst studying. They’re made up of Andreas Christodoulidis (vocals), Ross Patrizio (guitar), Jack Lyall (guitar), Lewis Doig (bass), Ruairidh Smith (drums).

*images courtesy of Marilena Vlachopoulou

After support from departing hero Steve Lamacq on 6Music, let’s see what they’ve been up to:

Yeah, Mud

A carefree recklessness pervades their Idles via Warmduscher punk poetry. It breeds images of lives spiralling out of control that are utterly intoxicating.

Big Money

Fontaines D.C’s howling 4am guitars, Warmduscher’s feral grooves, and the melodic intensity of Hell Is For Heroes and Cooper Temple Clause unite on this mercurial anthem.

The tale of Peruvian rubber baron Carlos Fitzcarrald may be niche, but the raw power of this single is destined to change that.

Big Reference

Big Reference are a three-piece from Bexhill. Alt-folk royalty Hannah Lou (lead vocals & electric guitar) and Trevor Moss (bass) are joined by Elliot Lampitt on drums as they step away from their archetypal sound.

Image & artwork courtesy of the band.

Let’s see what their new direction has brought so far:

All The Way

We’re so accustomed to hearing Lou and Moss harmonising to autumnal acoustic guitars that the throbbing grunge bass causes a double take. It evokes the slacker indie-rock of the cult movie classic ‘1234’ as the channel Aberdeen (Sarah’s Records) Aberdeen and Pavement.

Lou’s vocals are blessed with a wryness that allows this tale of relationship bitterness to shine.

Another Piece of My Heart

Following a similar lyrical path, they explore long-term heartbreak to the sound of Sebadoh’s punk-jangle.

Moss and Lou’s dual vocals have a sense of youthful abandon, bringing the early Belle & Sebastien record into play. It allows the protagonist’s regret (“stranger to love and all the way back again”) to put on a brave face despite everything.

The Avenues

The Avenues are a five-piece from Hull consisting of Tom Foston (vocals/rhythm guitar), Ollie Brown (lead guitar/backing vocals), Joe Galloway (bass/backing vocals), and Kurt Jackson (drums/percussion/backing vocals).

In 2018, Tom and Joe met through a singer asking local musicians to start a band. After discovering he was stealing their money, the boys kicked the singer out of the band and recruited school friends Ollie and Kurt to complete the lineup.

*image courtesy of Steve Lloyd Thresh

Let’s check what they have been up to:

Part of the Problem

Thunderous drumming and garage backing vocals set fire to this Interpol meets The Walkmen anthem. Tackling the discourse apathy via Ollie Brown’s scorched earth guitar solo will take this band places!

Another Movie

If Interpol made a Bruce Springsteen record, this would surely be it. Jagged licks and dreams of escape unite in this tale of self-doubt and hope.

Brown’s chiming licks are the perfect backdrop to Foston’s Jon Windle (Little Man Tate) via Paul Banks (Interpol) snarl. Together, they chart a tumultuous coming-of-age story which climaxes in Brown’s gunshot firing solo!

Airflo

Airflo are a four-piece from Bristol and Newport made up of Cam Artigan (vocals), James Wilson (guitars), Aled Owen (bass), and Tom Wilson (drums).

Artwork courtesy of the band.

James and Aled were previously of the anthemic band The Rotanas. Emerging from their ashes, they seek to surpass their dizzying new heights.

*banner image courtesy of Patrick Thomas.

Let’s look at their debut single ‘Drift Away’.

Drift Away

Richard Jackson recorded Drift Away at Junkyard Studios in Newport (Pretty Vicious / SFA / The Automatic).

In many ways, its the purest of indie anthems. If there was a blueprint for bands in garages and bedrooms in the UK, then this amassing of melody, love, loss, and dreams would be the foundations of it.

Artigan’s vocal leans into the emotion of Jamie Boyle ( The K’s) or Andrew Cushin but he is possessed by something greater. Hope. His breathy indie vocal emits an everyman appeal but, in truth, is closer to the indie gods. His “la la la’s” are doused in romanticism to alleviate the daily grind.

The merest tinge of forlornness to James’ guitar solo gives it a balance of 90% escapism and 10% melancholy. This reverie should never be disturbed!

A concoction of hope and bliss that will attract the masses. It’s inevitable.

Porcelain

Porcelain are a three-piece hailing from Newcastle-upon-Tyne consisting of Curtis Longstaff (vocals/rhythm guitar), Dan wright (lead guitar), and Adam Tibke (drums).

Chief songwriters Longstaff and Wrighjt met at university, with the band fully forming in late 2022 with drummer Tibke enlisting.

*banner image courtesy of James Grant.

Artwork courtesy of the band.

We take a look at their two singles to date:

Hearsay

With Coldplay’s classic ‘Hearsay’ coursing through its guitars, Hearsay reignites the early 00s when indie searched for something purer.

Vocally, Longstaff taps into the innocence and power of Haven’s Gary Briggs and Thirteen Senses’ Will South. Combined, it gives Longstaff an instant presence on the indie scene as a real force to be reckoned with.  

False Alarm

The emotion coursing through this single is astonishing. The emotive rhetoric of The National links arms with the hope of Longview and Embrace to conjure sheer genius.

Wright’s guitars howl with such pain alongside the atmospheric beauty of the Doves debut album to showcase what a truly special band Porcelain already are!