07/12/2018
THE 15 NEW BANDS IN UK YOU NEED TO KNOW IN 2018
There's another British Invasion shaping up this year. Here's a look at the young UK bands leading it.
As the saying goes, America invented rock ânâ roll and Britain perfected it. Every decade or so, a wave of young bands comes charging out of the soggy, overcast United Kingdom and ricochets around the globe with sneering abandon, recalibrating how we listen to rock music and charting a course for the next 10 years. From the British Invasion in the â60s to punk in the 70âs to new wave in the â80s to Britpop in the â90s to the garage revival in the â00s, weâve enjoyed 60 years of reliably progressive music from the other side of the Atlantic. With the second decade of the 21st century nearing a close, weâre smack in the middle of the next wave.
Plenty of bands over the past few years have achieved success on foreign shores, including Wolf Alice, alt-J, Royal Blood, The xx, Glass Animals. But thatâs just the first line. A gaggle of exciting new British bands are poised to catch fire, hailing from the tiny Scottish town of John oâ Groats all the way to London. The bands weâre highlighting here are eclectic and canât be described with a handy blanket term like Britpop or new wave, and thatâs a good thing. They are some of the best new folk, post-punk, garage rock, experimental, alternative, punk, indie rock, psych and krautrock artists kicking around at the moment. Here are 15 UK bands to watch out for.
1. Neon Waltz
Hailing from northern Scottish town of John oâ Groats, Neon Waltz deftly infuses their music with the atmospheric beauty of the Scottish coastline. This six-pieceâs distinct sound comprises grand, echoing percussion; majestic, glistening keyboards; warm, harmonious lead vocals, and melodic guitars with entrancing tones that feel both familiar and original. Though the band hasnât made the trip to America yet, they released their shimmering debut album, Strange Hymns, via Ignition Records last year, and theyâre currently working on a new EP.
2.
One of the UKâs most talked-about new bands from one if its most talked-about new scenes, Shame (pictured top) have the potential to make 2018 their year. The five-piece post-punk crew from South London are turning heads with their youthful anger and explosive energy mixed with charming, self-deprecating humor, orchestrated by charismatic frontman Charlie Steen. Their debut album, Songs of Praise, was released this month via Dead Oceans to widespread acclaim (check out Pasteâs review here) and they embarked on a huge North American tour this month.
3. OTHERKIN
The garage-rock revival led by the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys and The Libertines may be long gone, but this young band from Dublinâyes, as a reader rightly pointed out, theyâre Irish and not British, but weâre including them for proximityâs sakeâdoesnât seem the slightest bit concerned. Otherkin are a quartet that makes no-nonsense, two-to-three-minute garage rock/punk tracks born for rock radio. If this were 2004, theyâd be gracing the cover of every rock zine. Otherkin released their mouth-watering debut album, OK, via Rubyworks last year, and hopefully 2018 is the year the âKin play in the states. Theyâre in their true element when they play live, particularly frontman Luke Reilly, whoâs one of the finest crowd-surfers youâll ever see.
4. Black Honey
If cinematic rock or infectious pop is your bag, then Brightonâs Black Honey is for you. Led by badass frontwoman Izzy Bee Phillips, theyâve cranked out some of the catchiest pop/rock tracks of the past few years, with sassy, voluminous pop vocals and distorted guitars best suited to old Western flicks like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. They havenât played in the U.S. yet, but their debut album is expected to drop sometime this year and theyâve already scored support slots at home for the likes of Royal Blood and Queens of the Stone Age.
5. Honey Lung
Honey Lung might be young and lacking an extensive back catalogue, but their records contain some of the best guitar work and songwriting in recent memory. The quartetâs debut EP, Kind of Alone, was released in 2016 and followed by two new singles, âSophomoreâ and âStuttering Mind,â last year, with incredible results. Kind of Alone is a five-track fuzzy masterpiece with melodic guitar riffs and grungy, gravelly lead vocals from frontman Jamie Batten. While âSophomoreâ follows in a similar vein, âStuttering Mindâ marks calmer, new territory for the band, who have stated their desire to emulate the DIY lo-fi of acts like Sparklehorse, Elliot Smith and (Sandy) Alex G.
6. Catholic Action
One of Glasgowâs finest new guitar bands, Catholic Action already began their U.S. invasion at last yearâs SXSW, and evidently it went well considering theyâve been invited back for this yearâs festival. The quartet released their debut album, In Memory Of, last year via Modern Sky and itâs got âcatchy guitar pop gemsâ written all over it. Their euphoric record is also full of charming, intelligent lyrics from frontman and co-producer Chris McCrory, no-frills guitar riffs, sharp drumming and some of the catchiest rock basslines youâll hear. Songs like the Blur-y âL.U.Vâ and âBreakfastâ will reverse any preconceived notion that guitar music these days is homogenous or predictable.
7. INHEAVEN
This London quartet also have their sights set on America, having announced their first North American shows in support of Pale Waves this March and April. INHEAVEN released their self-titled debut album last year via [PIAS] Recordings to critical acclaim and theyâve also released a new single this year, âSweet Dreams Baby.â Their album is equally escapist and rooted in reality, with an overarching feeling of nostalgia, teenage dreams and romance as well as the resounding, rebellious beat of defiant political protest. âDriftâ and âSweet Dreams Babyâ exemplify the bandâs hazy, dreamy alt-rock, while âTreatsâ and âWorld on Fireâ exemplify the youthful, punk spirit that 2018 desperately needs.
8. Blaenavon
Hampshire indie-rock trio Blaenavon had a big 2017. They released their critically acclaimed debut album, Thatâs Your Lot, via Transgressive and Canvasback; they supported alt-J in the UK; they supported Circa Waves and White Reaper in the U.S.; and they scored slots at last yearâs Glastonbury, Lollapalooza and Osheaga festivals. Thatâs Your Lot is a triumphant mix of delicate ballads (âSwansâ), indie-pop bangers (âOrthodox Manâ), upbeat, funky guitar tracks (âLonely Sideâ) and earth-shattering, climactic rock (âI Will Be the Worldâ).
9. (band)
Another of Scotlandâs finest, WHITE are a Glasgow quintet that bleeds glitter and oozes â80s new-wave and post-punk. Last year, they released their debut album, One Night Stand Forever, via Gentlemen Recordings, deftly juxtaposing slick, hi-fi production, synths and electronic percussion with dirty, provocative vocals, guitar riffs and attitude. Frontman Leo Condie reaches for high notes that most male lead singers can only dream of, and the bandâs brand of disco-tinged post-punk will surely push even the most reserved audience members to the dance floor. Get this band to the states ASAP.
10. HMLTD
The most experimental band of this bunch is South London six-piece HMLTD. The first thing youâll notice is their outlandish, androgynous look, but their sound is as interesting (if not more) than their appearanceâa concoction of aggressive, in-your-face post-punk and electronic trap beats and synths. Surely on paper, a band of six straight white males dressed as â70s glam rockers that play post-punk crossed with trap music makes no sense and shouldnât work. But it does. HMLTDâs DIY mentality, stage theatrics and unusual social-media marketing led them to sell out shows at Londonâs famed 100 Club, Scala and Moth Club. They havenât released an album yet, but tracks like âTo the Doorâ and âSatan, Luella & Iâ made several best-of lists last year.
11. Vinyl Staircase
This unsigned band has only a debut single to their credit, but if youâve seen them live, you know why theyâre on this list. The Guildford four-piece released their debut track âGerman Wingsâ last year and itâs one of the strongest debut singles in recent memory. The songâs soothing, psych-tinged vocals slowly hypnotize until the tension-building guitars commence and peak with a crunchy solo of epic proportions. Vinyl Staircase just dropped a new single this week, âCherry,â from their forthcoming EP of the same name.
12. King Nun
London quartet and Dirty Hit signees King Nun have more raw energy in one fingertip than most alternative rock bands these days have in their entire bodies. Though thereâs no debut album to speak of yet, tracks like âHung Aroundâ, âSpongeâ and âSpeakerfaceâ display a level of excitement and grit that mainstream rock often lacks. The band got signed a few years ago when they were just teenagers, and after hearing their stop-start, blues-rock stomper, âHung Around,â thereâs no question their label made the right call. King Nun toured with labelmates Superfood and Pale Waves and scored a slot at last yearâs Reading and Leeds festival, so thereâs a lot of momentum behind this band. Word on the street is that they have an EP set for release this year.
13. WELSH & THE DECADENT WEST
Glasgowâs third and final inclusion on this list, Declan Welsh & The Decadent West had an impressive 2017 with tracks like âNazi Boys,â âNo Pasaranâ and âUseless.â Frontman Declan Welshâs vindictive punk poetry, sung in an unmistakable Scottish accent, is featured on tracks like âNazi Boysâ and âMirrors,â but his latest track, âUseless,â opens the door for a completely new sound. âUselessâ shows Welshâs softer side with its sweet indie-rock balladry, vulnerable lyrics and uplifting, anthemic chorus. The band is currently working on a new EP.
14. PALM HONEY
This Reading quartet are one of the more left-field bands on this list. Their unique sound could be categorized as everything from psych-pop and synth-rock to krautrock, space rock and prog rock. Their debut EP, Tucked Into the Electronic Wave, released last year, was one of the finest of the year, featuring standout tracks âStick the Knife Inâ and âGoing Normal.â The four-track EP is a mystical, memorable journey comprising cosmic synths, saxophone solos, insecure lyrics, meticulous guitar riffs and musical tangents that would signal their next release, âStarving Hysterical Naked.â In a lot of ways, Palm Honey are the antithesis of most guitar bands these guys, as evinced by the two-part, nine-minute jam, âStarving Hysterical Naked.â
15. White Room
The latest release by this Brighton five-piece and signeeâs to Liverpoolâs famed Deltasonic Records was a double EP and a concept record of sorts entitled Eight, released last December. The double-EP contains touches of â60s classic psych (the group is named for a Cream song, after all), rock and contemporary synth-pop. Jake Smallwood and Josie McNamara intermingle vocals brilliantly, as on the devilishly catchy chorus of âStole the I.V.â The EPâs kaleidoscopic, escapist lyrics mixed with dreamy soundscapes via distorted guitars and transcendent synths make for an overwhelmingly compelling listen. White Room have supported the legendary Paul Weller back in the UK, and hopefully their first U.S. shows arenât too far off.
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