5 Underrated British Indie bands you need to add to your playlist!
My Top 5 picks of promising indie bands that deserve more love and recognition! The indie scene is one of the most difficult to break through as it is so saturated already by great talents- especially in Britain – making it highly competitive. Therefore, I wanted to choose some bands that have only just started and others that are somewhat established although they all come under the same category of underrated.
The K’s
The K’s are an unsigned 4 piece from Earlestown, (west Manchester), they’re definitely a band to keep your eye on as personally I think they’re soon to blow! Incredibly their discography consists of just 8 singles, despite this they already have 68 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify.
In 2021 The K’s supported the DMAs on their UK tour as well as performing many festivals this summer such as: Lollapalooza in Stockholm and isle of White festival. Although their biggest gig yet will be taking to the main stage of Reading and Leeds, this same stage will be hosting indie heavyweights’ Arctic monkeys and Fontaines DC in the same weekend.
I think the release of their debut album will really show if they have what it takes to be an established name in the indie scene. My favourite songs include Sarajevo, picture, hometown, and TV. Many of the tracks are punk inspired with fast drums and heavy guitars but with great softer vocals; the K’s said themselves they are influenced by iconic Manchester bands Oasis and Stone Roses.
The K’s on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6DlKk9ibc9dCgvyNPGNXdH?si=mzQ7JjYhSEuG7JONeEt1qQ
Bilk
The next pick deserving WAY more recognition is Essex-based trio Bilk! Their unique sound is inspired by a variety of genres, such as pop-punk, rock, rap, grime and of course classic indie. Personally, I see most similarities with singer-songwriter Jamie T along with alternative rap artists such as Slowthai or Easy Life.
Bilk said they originally found it difficult to grow in hometown of Chelmsford as there is “no music scene whatsoever”. Despite this they have continued to achieve getting booked for huge UK festivals such as YNOT and Reading and Leeds this summer as well as receiving over 107k Spotify monthly listeners. Their tour this year included a gig at the iconic London venue of the 100 club that has hosted some of the biggest punk/rock bands, like The Sex Pistols and The Clash. Bilk have released several great singles such as: Spiked, Bad News and Day Dreamer. The refreshing trio’s lyrics perfectly describe British youth culture, being reckless teens and the reality of working-class Britain.
Bilk on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ryYQaYPltS7u7tjByRM3K?si=69bGADg1R16NAgaf2hdeUw
The Royston Club
The Royston
club are an exciting band from Wrexham (north Wales), and as said so themselves are “just four lads making music”. The band’s success is rising as they recently played Isle of White and Neighbourhood Weekender festival and supported The Snuts in a sold-out Manchester gig. On top of that, the Welsh 4 piece just completed an 18 show UK tour that was very well received, highlighting their nationwide fanbase.
I think the best singles include Mrs Narcissistic, Coasting, Marina, the backburner. I would compare their sound to the likes of classic vocal indie bands such as The Kooks and 2 Door Cinema Club with their similarly strong emotive vocals, catchy well-written chorus’s with the addition of their distinct Welsh accents.
The Royston Club on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5N5jf98OOEf3uAIJpi1deD?si=w98VVLu1TxGDkGDH5Oz4pQ
The Skinner Brothers
The Skinner Brothers are from London, made up of 4 members, their music is a blend of genres such as jazz, rock, and alternative rap. Their top songs include: Nothing but an Actor, Stupid Much? and Away Days. I think what sets them apart is having slower melodies paired with strong cockney vocals and their overwhelming passion that can be heard through songs such as away days that was inspired by British football culture and the emotions that comes with it.
They formed in 2018 and without a label The Skinner Brothers gained instant recognition by supporting the iconic Libertines followed by Kasabian (two of the biggest indie bands in the Uk). The London based quartet will continue to thrive as they have an upcoming tour across the country and will appear at several festivals before the summer ends.
The Skinner Brothers on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4PY51S3HuOMhnZA0Sx8FRN?si=Nz8enyhlT0-qu5M1w_af2Q
The Aftercare
I was shocked to see that this London-based trio had just 3000 monthly Spotify listeners and I think they deserve to be on your playlist! Aftercare currently only has 5 songs, the standout tracks for me are Spaceman, Samviktor and Sunday Comes around. With all 3 boys playing guitars they create softer sounding melodies that resemble more alternative bands such as Weezer and The Strokes.
The band gained some popularity through TikTok when they covered Declan Mckenna’s hit ‘Brazil’ while they sat in the bathtub playing guitars and it received over 2.6 million views! Aftercare are only at the beginning of their journey as they started at the beginning of this year, currently they’re playing intimate shows around London and their new release ‘Adult Fiction’ is coming out soon. I have no doubt that they will grow as they release more consistently great music- the sky is the limit for this band!
The Aftercare on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0s0TqMn1hly1r3mcFDRN4m?si=n5-wZJ8rRw-bLtZ5wKzW_g
PUBLISHED AUGUST 17th
Paul McCartney the Beatles legend had the Saturday headline spot, and he did not disappoint. His 38-song set was full of great moments including: breath-taking fireworks, a heartfelt tribute to bandmate John Lennon, and the crowd singing Paul happy birthday to celebrate his 80th! But the moment that has had everyone talking is when he surprised the audience of over 100,000 people with icons Bruce Springsteen and Dave Grohl. The appearance of the Foo Fighters’ frontman made the performance even more special as he played for the first time since the death of fellow bandmate and friend Taylor Hawkins. The trio of Rock n Roll royalty performed Springsteen’s ‘Glory days’ followed by Beatles classics ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ and ‘The End’ with both guests taking part in an epic guitar showdown!
A collaboration I really enjoyed was during Lorde’s magical Sunday set, when she invited special guests Arlo Parks and Clairo to sing ‘Stoned at the Nail Salon’ with her. The New Zealander star described the song as “the ultimate comedown anthem” and joking that her set is the perfect place to do this after a heavy few days. As somebody who is obsessed with all 3 singers, I can only describe them as the holy trinity of alternative indie vocals. The trio did not disappoint as they harmonised beautifully creating a wonderful moment for the audience to reflect on the whole weekend.
The duo that has caught the most attention from the weekend and a highlight for many attending was when American pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo invited British icon Lily Allen onto stage. 19-year-old Olivia stole the headlines as she sang Lily Allen’s notorious tune ‘F*** You’ directing it towards members of the Supreme Court that voted to overturn abortion rights in America. Rodrigo spoke aggressively, “so many women and so many girls are going to die because of this. They clearly don’t give a shit about our freedom”. The teen then named all 5 judges before giving an unforgettable performance alongside Lily who is known for her outrageous comments and controversies. The singing itself was far from perfect but the chaotic energy captured the beautiful raw emotions of anger and vulnerability.
