New Found World

New Found World is a three-piece punk band from Essex. Its members are Jack Tyler (vocals/guitars), Sai Lindsey (bass/backing vocals), and James Mein (drums).

They recently supported George Sanders and The Parallels at Southend’s iconic venue, Chinnerys, and last week, they sold out a show at Southend’s Ironworks.

Let’s check them out:

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A tinge of pop-punk runs through the bassline, but they're onto something far more meaningful via Tyler’s vocals and the devastating distortion they create as a collective.

This tale of mental health and romantic woe is the perfect introduction to a band who are hell-bent on fusing chaos with substance.

Stumbling Through McDonalds

The filth and the fury of Carsick, the mayhem of Transplants, and the post-punk of Hope of the States and Arctic Monkeys form the backdrop to this annihilating anthem.

Rosa Caelum

Rosa Caelum is a heavy-hitting indie-rock outfit from the West Midlands consisting of Robert Mansfield (vocals), Liam Tolley (guitar), Travis O’Leary (bass), Ben Marks-Baggott (guitar), and Sam Horobin (drums).

Formed in late 2021, they have supported The Assist, Rolla, and toured with Bilk.

*artwork courtesy of This Feeling.

Let’s see why:

Jerusalem

Recorded at Magic Garden Studios in Wolverhampton with Gavin Monaghan. They nail the behemoth sound that’s always been out of reach for former Arctic Monkeys. Monstrous riffs, sexed-up vocals, and, in the second half, the deranged guitars of The Blinders.

The Lovers Were The Last Ones To leave

Their debut single is a blistering piece of bombast. Electrifying guitars to soundtrack nights of out of debauchery and life-long memories. Indie-dancefloors just got put on notice by the astonishing power of Marks-Baggot’s guitars.

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

The Rampants

The Rampants are a four-piece band from Kilmarnock on the West Coast of Scotland. They consist of Jamie (frontman/songwriter), James (guitar), Ewan (drums), and Ben (bass).

*banner image courtesy of @wilburspolaroids

Let’s see what they have been up to:

1 in the 99

With ‘Brianstorm’ in the intro’s heart and Grian Chatten’s soulful fire oozing from frontman Jamie, they take indie to the furious but scintillating realm of punk.

Blasted

Intoxicating guitars and riotous vocals fire up this Jamie T meets The Strokes classic!

The Way It Goes

The guitars are nothing short of utterly joyous. Death-defying teenage escapism is becoming a reality!

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming Glasgow show:

Dylan Robert

Singer-songwriter Dylan Robert has lived in Liverpool his whole life, growing up just minutes away from John Lennon’s childhood home.

He began playing the guitar with his best friend, Ben Harper when he was ten. Harper is now Robert’s producer. They recorded ‘Floodlights’ and ‘Psychos’ at the Motor Museum Recording Studio on Lark Lane, where Harper works.

*image courtesy of This Feeling. Credit: @lens_of_a_wool

Let’s check them out:

Floodlights

Robert's vocals are a cross between Sam Fender and Elliott Smith, while his guitars chime like Shack and Andrew Cushin. He walks a tightrope of alternative to pop music with such delicate poise here that, fans from all sides of the tracks are indeed to follow.

Psychos

The reflective atmosphere of Bon Iver’s debut album courses through this vein of this dawn-lit masterpiece.

In the closing stages, Robert sings, “Nobody’s walking where we go.” The sense of a lost generation finding its way through a sea of despair is lit up by Bon Iver via John Martyn's guitars. Dawn-lit and single-minded, Robert’s characters forge their spellbinding paths of discovery.

Something In The Lake

Something In The Lake are a five-piece indie-experimental band that met in Croydon, South London. Having met at college (they currently study production at Guildhall School of Music), they bonded over influences such as Aphex Twin, Radiohead, Slint, Pat Metheny, Nick Drake, Portishead, and Bill Evans.

The band of multi-instrumentalists are Leon Benson (vocals/guitar), Patch Sawyer (bass), Sam Pope (guitar), Theo Maguire (drums), and Torin Umrigar (keys/guitar).

Let’s see what they have been up to:

Listener

This self-produced single was recorded between bedroom studios in north London after drums were recorded at engineer Harri Chambers’ studio in Woolwich. As such, it’s blessed with an addictive lo-fi beauty that has you reaching for the likes of Radiohead but, truth be told, they’re unique.

Benson’s voice grows with empowerment in this tale of letting go. It allows the guitars to become less a flicker and more an artful expression of creativity, the likes of which we haven’t seen the pureness of South’s ‘From Here On In’.

Daylight

The self-produced style has struck the gold of UNKLE and DJ Shadow here. As the 4am downbeat Portishead production swells, Benson leans into the melancholy of Jimi Goodwin with hints of Yanns Phillippakis (Foals) and Jonathan Higgs (Everything Everything). It allows the dread and despair of the guitars to unfurl a tension that’s almost too much to take.

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming gig:

The Horse Heads

The Horse Heads are a four-piece from Chelmsford, Essex. The band consists of George Young (drums), Ronaldo Rodrigues (vocals), Brad Sadler (guitar), and Elias Emin (guitar/bass).

*image credit James Mannion.

They’re signed to the impeccable Cool Thing Records, run by fellow Essex punks Asylums. Let’s check out why they have been championed by both Lammo and John Kennedy in the past year.

UR BOI

Heavy hitting and disaffected vocals light up this punk anthem. More melodic than Idles, more spiteful than Soft Play, The Horse Heads have written the best punk love song since The Dammed’s classic ‘Love Song;.

Bride

Bride are a five-piece hailing from Inverclyde in Scotland. Charlie McQueen(Guitar)and Aedan McVey (Guitar) formed the band in 2021 over a shared love of Joy Division. The line-up is completed by Lewis Rorrison (Drums), Luke Harkins (Bass), and Caragh Power (singer). 

*image courtesy of Keira Taylor aka @taylorvisualss

Let’s see what they have been up to:

Paralysis

Combining the raw strident power of Wolf Alice and the beguiling shoegaze of early Ride and MBV, Bride is on the edge of something genuinely unique here. Punk’s instantaneous hit of feeling and shoegaze’s exploratory nature quite possibly conjure an era-defining moment for guitar music.

Tuesday Nights

A solemn lo-fi intro manoeuvres into Power’s elegant vocal and sumptuous moonlit guitars to conjure a forlorn, unloved protagonist. As the tortured soul reminisces (“cigarettes are all that reminded me of you”), a beauty not seen since the Cocteau Twins emerges to heal the wounds.

Transmission Suite

Transmission Suite are a four-piece indie-electronic outfit hailing from Stirling in Scotland.

Image & artwork courtesy of the band.

In 2023, they supported the iconic 80s outfit Flock of Seagulls in Glasgow. We look at their latest single ‘Lying Awake’ and former single ‘Part of the Problem’:

Lying Awake

The sound of sun-setting guitars offsets the vibrancy of the synths as this tale of friendship and salvation ebbs and flows from the light to the dark.

Between them and The Slow Readers Club, the 80s synth revival is covered with such effortless skill. Anyone else need not apply.

Part of the Problem

The glitching synths set a wayward path that's elevated by The Charlatans ‘Then’-era guitars and vocals.

A gently rising sense of euphoria and quiet defiance oozes through this dawn-rising gem.

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

The Malakites

The Malakites are a four-piece hailing from Cardiff. They’re made up of Jacob Webber (vocals /guitars), Thibault Segrott (vocals/guitars), Daniel Rizzo (bass), and Ashley Smith (drums).

After a rip-roaring set at Shiiine On 2023, they’re set to play This Feeling’s Big in 2024 at Signature Brew Haggerston and go on tour with Circa Waves.

*image courtesy of This Feeling.

Let’s see what they have been up to:

Morning After

Post-punk and gothic guitars from the artistry of The Chameleons are injected with rock ‘n’ roll’s chest-out belief on this chaotic anthem!

There’s something beautifully desperate about this record that will line up legions of fans!

Roses on the Doorstep

Shimmering lo-fi guitars a la The La’s meander their way to a beast of a solo. These two singles alone prove there is a classic debut album in the offing. A power permeates everything they do that most bands spend a lifetime searching for.

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

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!