The Best of April 2026
The Best of April 2026 TNAM Staff Top Tracks of the Month By Caitlin Taylor 3 May 2026 April brought the start of the warm weather and great new singles, albums & EPs from some of our favourite artists. Listen to the full playlist to see all our favourite new releases, or carry on reading to hear about the best of the best you need to hear ASAP. Bathing Suits – ‘Swan Princess’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ9KdeQg5a4 Flash warning for this confetti-covered video. ‘Swan Princess’ is third track of the band’s new EP ‘KILL Bathing Suits‘. Singer Freyja, known for her tendency to strip down to her undergarments on stage, leads this high energy four-piece through their impressive debut. It’s heavy, full of life, and certain to get you moving. For fans of: Sorry, Honeyglaze Modern Woman – ‘Johnny’s Dreamworld’ https://youtu.be/wffyswgu_Z4?si=kDa3pS49j4yw0lMx Sophie Harris is a storyteller. Her vocals strike a chord as she guides us through her inner world. Part Abigail Morris, part Sinead O’Connor, part Kate Bush. It’s a track that rises and falls, swirls and shifts, and keeps you captivated the entire time. A brilliant entry point to their debut album of the same name. For fans of: English Teacher, The Last Dinner Party Tony Bontana – ‘Yowve siddit pon de replay’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi-X-E-mlKw There’s a special place in my heart for Tony Bontana, largely due to his hilarious track ‘Letterboxd Men‘. But he isn’t only about comedy, he plays with genre and style like no one else at the moment. He appears on this playlist twice, firstly with this track from his new album and then again for his collab with Max Winter. He dominated our personal airwaves this month. For fans of: RXKNephew, Jadasea pyncher – ‘One Day’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRePOOjny58 Here to scratch that nostalgic itch are pyncher with their new track ‘One Day’. Reminiscent of the similarly tited The Strokes track ‘Someday‘, it’s a track about how “we all change and grow”, as explained by vocalist Sam Blakeley. Listening through their discography proves pyncher are an undeniably versatile group and we’re intrigued by what this release means for their future sound. For fans of: The Strokes, MORN Gretel – ‘Unbloom’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w2pLXfm3So Despite being only 22, Gretel has solidified herself as a favourite in the London music scene. She wears her 90s grunge influence on her sleeve with ‘Unbloom’, a standout track from her new album ‘Squish‘. Speaking on the track, she said: “Unbloom is about challenging heavy feelings by embracing them. It’s about letting yourself succumb and unfurl, just to see what’s left at your core. This was always my favourite song, but admittedly it wasn’t meant to make the record because my team didn’t dig the demo!” For fans of: PJ Harvey, Wolf Alice
“A new chapter” – In Conversation with Dustbunny
“A NEW CHAPTER” – IN CONVERSATION WITH DUSTBUNNY INTERVIEW By Caitlin Taylor 26 April 2026 Dustbunny were a band from Portland. Their excellent second album ‘Offerings for Weary Dogs’ will be the last output of the band as they’ve existed for the past couple years due to frontwoman Chloe Flores’s move to Minneapolis. “It has been a huge shift”, she told us over email. During a break from unpacking boxes, she spoke to us about who Dustbunny were, are, and will be going forward. Why the name Dustbunny? I came up with the band name Dustbunny in the shower; where I assume most like-minded individuals also do their best thinking. This was during a time where my music endeavors were entirely solo but I had hopes of bringing a full band into fruition. How did you guys come together to form a band? I had been making music solo for a while, releasing songs under a different name. I had recorded all of those songs on my iPhone’s GarageBand app and later, Logic and an audio interface. After doing that in Portland for my first few years living there, I met Shanea while we were both working for Sofar Sounds. Shanea would come to be bassist on the first two albums (Machinery and Offerings for Weary Dogs). But first I asked them to play bass for me on the first single I released under the new name. After that worked out, I did what any other 26 year old would do and posted on Instagram to gauge interest. Delaney (Walatka) was the only one to respond. And thank god she did because she filled the spot of lead guitar. Finally, a mutual friend put me in touch with Evan (Mason-White) who was enough of an early appreciator of the music I was releasing solo to play drums. Dan (Peterson) later came aboard to play second lead and he is present on the second album. It feels like a lot of thought goes into your visual art style, can you talk a little about your cover art and the thoughts behind it? The cover art is mostly just inspired by individual artists’ styles, if that makes sense. I never really have gone into an album with a clear vision of what specific imagery I want. The Machinery cover was done by Lydia Slocum of the band Feeble Little Horse. She used to have an art page (@the_asheley_catacombs) that I really liked and I reached out to her to do the cover as a commission. I gave her a few examples of what pieces she had done that I liked most and she gave me a few different iterations until we came to one that worked. Similarly, for Offerings for Weary Dogs, I had my friend Anthony Clementi (@anthony__clementi) brainstorm after hearing the album title. He listened to some of the unreleased songs for inspiration and painted the piece that would come to be the album art. The actual painting is massive and now hangs in my home. I prefer to give the visual artists mostly free reign, it’s cool to see what people come up with to coincide with the music. Photos by KC Jonze (@thelonius_punk) Was there a story you wanted to tell with Offerings for Weary Dogs? Did you go into the album with a particular intention? The intention behind Offerings was primarily to release one more album in Portland with the same band lineup. Dan (2nd lead guitarist) is my partner and we had decided the previous year that we would move to Minneapolis in early 2026. With that in mind and a bunch of songs in my back-pocket, it just made sense that we would try and get one more out together. Bryan Olson (@realmseeker) recorded both albums in his home studio and we had such a good time working with him for Machinery too, so it really was like a last hoorah and an accomplishment I really wanted to make with the band before starting a new chapter. How was crafting this album different from your first album Machinery? Is there anything you learned that you’ll take with you for future releases? I think we learned a lot in between Machinery and Offerings, both as a live band and in the studio. Bryan had not yet recorded any other bands in his studio when we did Machinery and we had only been playing shows for about 8 months, so it was a learning process for all of us. By the time we came back for round two, we were way more confident but also had bigger ideas and a pretty strict timeline. I think I’d have the same thought process going into a future release, which is to really just do it for the love of the game and to have fun, but I think I’d allow myself some more space so as to not feel rushed and really just take my time. As someone who lives miles away and has never been, describe the Portland music scene. How do you feel you fit into it? The Portland music scene is incredibly welcoming and supportive and fun. Or at least that was my experience with it. I am sad to leave it but find comfort in knowing the space where Dustbunny was will be filled and that my friends will still be at all the shows. When Dustbunny started, I was totally new on the scene and inexperienced and I only have fond memories of the acceptance that was shown to us. Of course, there are many different niches there, some of which I likely never witnessed. But our corner of the world was totally lush with opportunities and friendship. It was awesome. What’s a song you wish you’d written? I am going to forgo the super niche answer and go with the obvious which is that I wish I’d written Farewell Transmission. There was undeniable magic in that room when they recorded this song.
TGE Presents Truthpaste, Bert & Ninush @ The Old Blue Last
TGE PRESENTS TRUTHPASTE, BERT & NINUSH PHOTOS By Elijah Callingham 27 April 2026 Thursday 26th March marked the third of The Great Escape’s pre-festival showcases and consisted of an indie/alt/folk focused lineup. Lots of guitars, gentle vocals and beautiful songwriting. You can view the photos we took, listen to the artists, and read our thoughts on them below. Ninush Nina Lim has played with some of the best British artists out there as a violinist but her solo project Ninush explores a more gentle sound, reminiscent of Regina Spektor. Bert Brighton artist Bert played his recently released track ‘Bump’. On the night we spoke to him about it as well as his other favourite songs, which you can view over on our Instagram. Truthpaste Headliners Truthpaste have really been making their way up in the world recently. They work beautifully as an ensemble, ending the night on a high note.
The Best UK Festivals This Spring
The Best UK Festivals This Spring By Caitlin Taylor 8 April 2026 From Brighton to Salford, here are the best fest festivals the UK has to offer before June hits. If you want to be in the know before anyone else – and support local venues and independent artists – buy a ticket to one, or two, or three. Outertown, Bristol Saturday, 11th April It’s the five year anniversary of Bristol’s own Outertown festival and they’re supplying us with a killer lineup to celebrate. Buy a ticket so that there can be many more to come! Top Picks: wing!, ashnymph, Ninush View this post on Instagram A post shared by Outer Town Festival (@outertownbristol) Buy Tickets Here Homegrown, Brighton Saturday, 11th April Some properly obscure artists on this lineup from the first of two Brighton based festival on this list. Hopefully the sun stays shining and the wind stays calm this weekend so you can sit on the beach with an ice cream in between discovering some new sounds. Top Picks: AtticOmattic, Eva Lunny, Rainy Day Cafe View this post on Instagram A post shared by Homegrown Festival (@homegrownbrighton) Buy Tickets Here Sounds From The City, Salford Sunday, 3rd May If you know, you know. Salford is the place to be for exciting music at the moment. London isn’t the centre of the world – get up North and have your mind blown. Top Picks – Slag, Lancer, Pollyfromthedirt View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sounds From The Other City (@sftoc) Buy Tickets Here The Great Escape, Brighton 13th-16th May The second Brighton-based multi-venue festival on this list, TGE is a staple in the calendar for new music. We’re biased because we have our own stage here for the second year in a row alongside our good friends at Still Listening but there’s also hundreds of other amazing artists to check out. Top Picks: Internet Cafe, KEYAH/BLU, SILVERWINGKILLER View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Great Escape Festival (@greatescapefest) Buy Tickets Here
The Best of March 2026
The Best of March 2026 TNAM Staff Top Tracks of the Month By Caitlin Taylor 31 March 2026 2026 so far has keen a killer year for small artists, and March was no exception. Listen to the full playlist to see all our favourite new releases, or carry on reading to hear about the best of the best you need to hear ASAP. mary in the junkyard – ‘Crash Landing’ Definitely the best video of the month if nothing else, mary in the junkyard have taken a beautiful turn with ‘Crash Landing’. Skewing more towards the sound of fellow London band Sorry than their usual tone, lead singer Clari Freeman-Taylor serenades someone who continues to cause her pain. Serving as a first taster from their new album ‘Role Model Hermit’, we’re eagerly waiting whatever’s to come. For fans of: Sorry, Honeyglaze The Itch – ‘Drugdealer’ With a fun synth-pop sound reminiscent of your parents favourite eighties track, ‘Drugdealer’ is one of the single from the bands upcoming album ‘It’s The Hope That Kills You’ which arrives early next month. Not too unlike their other singles, it sets itself apart by just being an incredibly earnest love song: “Of all the people in the world, I think you’re the best”. For fans of: Fabiana Palladino, Ebbb Sans Souci – ‘Trans’ I’ve been on the Sans Souci bandwagon ever since their incredible 2024 release If I Let a White Man Cut My Hair, and this EP is an excellent return to form. Featuring some gorgeous vocal effects while exploring their thoughts through poetic lyricism, the entire EP deserves a full listen through. For fans of: Lava La Rue, Sudan Archives RIPMagic – ‘5Words’ Seemingly just moments from truly blowing up, RIPMagic are a quintessentially London band. 5Words is a janky sounding track – in a good way. The plucky bass, thumping drum beat and bizarre backing sounds create an attention grabbing soundscape which would pull anyone out of the monotony of your TFL commute. For fans of: Lip Critic, Fcukers 1000 Rabbits – ‘Rubiks Cube’ Despite this only being their second release, Rubik’s Cube is an beautifully complex song filled to the brim with drama. Dripping with theatricality, the band take you on a ride from a soft plodding start to a final crescendo. On Instagram they describe it as containing “wetness, dancing, chewing and spitting. we hope you love it.”. For fans of: Geordie Greep, The New Eves
In Conversation with Silkarmour
IN CONVERSATION WITH SILKARMOUR INTERVIEW By Eli Callingham 27 March 2026 Silkarmour is the brainchild of London-based musician and producer Enzo Samuel, a project that’s been active since the release of the debut single ‘Nervous Energy’ in 2020. Mutated over the years, but pushed by Samuel’s singular vision, Silkarmour combines earnest song-writing with experimental sound design, bombastic arrangements and tech wizardry. As a trio, their live set is formidable. After his March 14th headline show at the heralded south London electronic hub Venue MOT, he graciously answered some of our burning questions. Who are, or what is Silkarmour right now? Silkarmour is me, but I’m currently performing with two geniuses; Finn Murphy on organ synths and Joe Killick on percs/drums. How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard it before? Textural and spiritual. Silkarmour’s sound has evolved a lot over the years. How has what inspires you musically or emotionally changed as the project has grown? I think for me the sonics all depend on what the song asks for and it changes per song. I like a lot of 60s and 70s music, especially psychedelic rock, soul and motown and I think those grand studio semi orchestral arrangements are really inspiring. I guess I like to lean into that more nowadays. Your visual identity feels inseparable from the music, do visuals come from the same conceptual starting point, or do they reshape the music after it exists? Or do they flow into one another like a figure of eight? I really enjoy making visuals and I think I have the same visual taste as I do musically. The visuals definitely come second but I often start to get an idea of how I want things to look while I’m working on the music. Context is the most important thing when it comes to art in my opinion and when I’m working sometimes I like to look on tumblr or go through art books and I’ll see images that reshape the context of the music and make me rethink what I’m listening to, that definitely helps to inspire me visually. My producer brain was geeking out a bit looking at your live setup, your use of equipment felt really meticulously curated, and of course maximal by design! You’ve previously mentioned being drawn to maximalist musicians and innovators in sound design and sampling, so I’m curious whether there are particular kinds of maximalism you connect with, whether emotional, sonic, or structural? And do those different approaches change how you think or feel when making music? I’m a big fan of 60s and 70s wall of sound arrangements, the sounds of Phil Spector and Joe Meek in particular are very influential for me. I think that ‘maximalism’ is maybe my poor way of describing deep emotive sonic texture. These days when I’m writing I am very minimal in terms of structuring my songs, particularly when it comes to melodic repetition. However I am obsessed with the sounds that come out when you really mess with a sample. That kind of overwhelming otherworldly texture and harmony is what I’m thinking of when I say maximalism. And while I do consider my current sound maximalist I would say that to me my setup feels minimal compared to what I’d ideally have in my dream band, I’d be ecstatic to play with an orchestra, a pipe organ or a full on folk band. Has the setup ever led you somewhere emotionally or musically you didn’t expect? I’ve recently picked up a harmonium and have been learning to play it which really impacted the way the set sounded, I only added it to the set up around a third of the way into the rehearsals and it has really completed the whole sound for me, I had already been recording on other harmoniums and I think now it might be a staple of what I do for the next period of time! Are there any underground artists you’ve been listening to, and you think others should know about? MM’99, a brilliant future alt pop star, Canty, a fantastic songwriter and performer and gegenpress a very powerful noise rock band. Are there any gig venues, spaces, or event series you’re excited about at the moment? Anywhere with a good soundsystem and I’m dead keen. All is Joy is pretty cool. What’s a song everyone should add to their playlist? Andy Stott – How It Was After a period of relative quiet (2022-2025), what has fundamentally changed in how Silkarmour makes decisions? I want to release more music! Which is what I am doing now, I am way too detail oriented so I’m learning to find a balance there. Is there anything you think audiences misunderstand about Silkarmour and do you ever try to correct that? That there is no space in the name ‘Silkarmour’.Aside from that it’s all open to interpretation. What’s something you’ve learned about making art that you wish you understood earlier? Working on other people’s music is the best way to better yourself at making your own. Any final words of wisdom? If you’re making tunes don’t stray away from ‘weird’ sonics out of fear of alienating people, it’s audible when something has been watered down. {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }} {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }} {{ options.labels.newReviewButton }} {{ userData.canReview.message }} You Might Also Like Recent Posts
London Gig Guide: March 2026
London Gig Guide: March 2026 Spring is coming, get yourself out the house and to one of these great (and affordable) music nights By Caitlin Taylor From folk to pop to electronic, there’s something here for everyone in this curated choice of gigs. If you have any recommendations, please send them through to us! MARCH 9TH Big Red + Kevin Rowsell + Louis Gardner @ The Shacklewell Arms Free MARCH 10TH Slow Life + Maudlin + Cutty Shark @ The Old Blue Last Free MARCH 11TH Folk Bitch Trio @ Scala £24 MARCH 12TH plantoid + big long sun + Huarinami @ MOTH Club £13.60 MARCH 13TH Slow Dance ’25 Compilation Launch – Night 1 @ The George Tavern £7 MARCH 14TH Slow Dance ’25 Compilation Launch – Night 2 @ The George Tavern £7 MARCH 15TH Kansas City Playboys + Mukbang Ray + Crap Stallion @ The Shacklewell Arms Free MARCH 16TH Girl Group: Live + Signing @ Rough Trade East £8 MARCH 17TH Laura Fell (EP Launch) + Kitty Fitz @ Paper Dress Vintage £11.22 MARCH 18TH Live Sessions: Tara Lily (Solo) + Marysia Osu and MA.MOYO @ The Standard Free MARCH 19TH Lucinda Chua, Ben Vince, Xiaoqiao, Saied Silbak @ Club Cheek £15.50 MARCH 20TH Hot Wife / Jackie Sees Red / Kinoko Curse @ The Finsbury Free MARCH 21ST Songs of the Spring Equinox @ MOTH Club £15.66 MARCH 22ND Going On Words all dayer @The Elephant’s Head Free MARCH 23RD ORII JAM #oriieast | Queer Jazz @ Colour Factory £12 MARCH 24TH Champion Trees / Kaspar Hauser / Florence Shaw @ The Ivy House £7 MARCH 25TH Cuckoo Spit / Sevy Verna / Selthe @ Venue MOT £8 MARCH 26TH TGE Presents: Truthpaste, Bert & Ninush @ The Old Blue Last Free MARCH 27TH Tash LC & PAURRO @ The Carpet Shop £10 MARCH 28TH Earth to Earth: artists supporting Gaza and Sudan @ EartH Theatre £25.75 MARCH 29TH Porchlight + Lost Lyra + Brette Wolfe @ The Shacklewell Arms Free MARCH 30TH Be Civil + Tears At The Table + Bugbear @ The Shacklewell Arms Free MARCH 31ST We Are So Young 42: lttl mort + KiosK + Lifeloose @ The Social Free
So Wide Awake’s Off… Where Should You Go Instead?
So Wide Awake’s Off… Where Should You Go Instead? Our fave London festivals having a break in 2026, hopefully these others fill that hole in your heart By Caitlin Taylor 8 March 2026 So Wide Awake is officially not happening… Luckily it’s just a one off for 2026, but it still leaves a gaping hole in the UK market. The festival, founded and curated by Keith Miller and LNZRT, is THE London day event for alternative, underground music. Since 2021, they’ve provided stages for some of our favourites; The New Eves, The Itch, Shygirl, Mary in the Junkyard, Hannah Diamond, Jasmine.4.T, Acopia, and many, many more. It will be sorely missed this summer, but here’s a selection of other events that can maybe help you stave off the WA cravings. RALLY We’ve been big fans of RALLY since its inception. A decently new entry to the scene, the 2025 installment was one of our favourite festivals of that year with captivating performances from Moin, MIKE and Bassvictim, all while managing to have a decent Guinness on tap in the middle of Southwark park. This year, the lineup has been curated by Dev Hynes (Blood Orange himself) leading to some incredibly fun bookings. Top Picks – YHWH Nailgun, spirit blue and Smerz View this post on Instagram A post shared by RALLY (@rally.rally.rally) DOT TO DOT Hitting 2026 with a killer lineup is Dot to Dot (or D2D), a festival with a strong focus on new music. Whether you’re in Bristol or Nottingham, you’ll have the chance to catch some of the best rising artists. Top Picks – Fcukers, Lucia & the Best Boys, Middleman and Sarah Meth View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dot To Dot Festival (@d2dfest) END OF THE ROAD An institution of the British festival scene, this year’s lineup features some Wide Awake alumni including CMAT, Fat Dog and Working Men’s Club. It’s a nature focused event, located in Dorset full of great music and is more family focused than others on this list. Many of their standout bookings likely would’ve been on the WA lineup this year if it wasn’t off. Top Picks – RIP Magic, Prewn, Silver Gore and Little Grandad View this post on Instagram A post shared by End Of The Road (@endoftheroad) LIDO Kicking things off last year, LIDO joined the London scene as the younger sibling of the very well established All Points East. In 2026, the standout day to us is Friday June 12th with everyone’s favourite new popstar CMAT as the headliner. Even more artists are soon to be announced. Top Picks – Katy J Pearson, Getdown Services and Junior Brother View this post on Instagram A post shared by cmat (@cmatbaby) CROSS THE TRACKS If you go to Wide Awake for the atmosphere as much as the music, then its sister festival Cross The Tracks is a must-visit. With more of a focus on genres like jazz, funk and soul, it’s lineups are always impressive and this year is no different. Top Picks – Joy Crookes, Bel Cobain, Obongjayar, and Lizzie Berchie View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cross The Tracks (@xthetracks) Find our review of the previous Wide Awake here
FRIEND CRUSH CURATED BY LAUREN AUDER // WOUNDER REVIEW
FRIEND CRUSH CURATED BY LAUREN AUDER // WOUNDER REVIEW TNAM.UK By Eli Callingham 21 February 2026 On Monday 26th January, somewhat of a dreary night, I made my way to East London’s Shacklewell Arms for a ‘Friend Crush’ event programmed by Lauren Auder. An eclectic lineup featuring performances by Wounder, Jennifer Walton and Lauren Auder herself, who played new material that was due to be released on that Friday [praxis out now]. ‘Wounder’ is the alias of Sonny Holland, London based artist and producer, and purveyor of heavy music who has cemented himself in the broad underground scene over the last few years by playing at a number of event series for those in the know (BalaX, Borough, Genesys and Trauma Unit), recording and playing his own music as well as producing for others. He has previously released music under ‘crimson//chaos’ (RIP). With Wounder, Sonny sits comfortably in both the electronic and metal worlds, fusing heavy basslines, detailed sound design and walls of distorted guitars with fry scream vocals, and choppy vocal processing. Working adjacent to ‘post-club’ while channeling a distinctly post-genre sensibility, he plays with established conventions while reshaping them into something distinctly his own. Through both our conversation and his output you can tell he has eclectic taste, something that’s also evident in his collaborations. His latest album, ‘Builder’, released through Final Hot Desert in August 2025, features notable collaborations with Australian producer Sus1er, a figure known for his work across rap and dance styles, and London based underground veteran Felix Lee, both known for their genre-bending approaches. He plays in the latter’s live band contributing live electronics. Great performance clips found [HERE]. Audio of which is found [HERE]. At Friend Crush, he performed a stripped back thirty-minute set. His equipment, an assortment of devices – a sampler, pedals, MIDI keyboard and laptop organised on a table to the left of the stage which was also used to lean against in moments of respite. He seemed as comfortable with this setup as he is with a live band. He navigated the set’s dense material with ease, the highlights being ‘I Never Said That I Didn’t Mean It’ and ‘Tell Him I Too Have Known’. Abrasive, tremolo-picked guitar tones punctuated the set, interspersed with texturally juxtaposed synths and pads that were more prominent in the live mix, than on the released material. The bass cut through and remained as a constant yet welcome onslaught – my only gripe was not experiencing it on a larger sound system. The tracklist tastefully alternated between blast beats and electronic drums. An ebb and flow from the more frantic to morose cuts. The audience’s response reflected this mix of styles: both head-banging and bobbing, moves associated with the two genres. The black metal influence and stylisation on his work is undeniable – throughout his instagram feed and previous shows he’s seen sporting corpse paint and using the titular vocal fry common to the genre, but what I found with this live show was a performance style more confrontational and synonymous with noise artists. As reference, this Prurient performance comes to mind. It was an incredibly animated performance, an embodied practice that included him collapsing on the ground, beating his chest, leaping off the stage and contorting his frame. He acted as a vessel for the music, with the same cathartic release as a noise performance but with more grace and less violent movement. It allowed the audience to feel comfortable enough to draw close and enclose him in a circle. As the show concluded parts of the mic stand lay scattered across the floor. No mic stand is safe – he corroborated that is a common occurrence at his shows. He quietly and calmly packed up his equipment, pedals, and power supply in a black duffel rucksack and adjourned for a quiet cigarette outside of the venue. After his performance he kindly gave some of his time for this interview [Click Here]. You Might Also Like Recent Posts
How the Lambrini Girls Evolved from Chaos to Call-to-Action
How the Lambrini Girls Evolved from Chaos to Call-to-Action Having followed their journey for many years, watching the Lambrini Girls perform at the O2 Ritz last week felt like a defining moment. 12 December 2025 By Jessica Blissitt For a first-time follower, their aggressive orchestration and pounding punk riffs could be mistaken for scattered chaos, but if you listen a bit longer you’ll notice the lyricism holds a rightful anger towards social injustices that can make any bystander feel motivated to improve their small piece of the world. When every single person is clamouring for real change, chanting in line with Lunny’s lyrical likeness, it definitely feels unnaturally optimistic. Hopeful, almost. Formed by the formidable duo of vocalist Phoebe Lunny and guitarist Selina Macieira-Boşgelmez, this Brighton-based punk group could be described as a odd-bodied concoction of the Spice Girls, Panic Shack, and Le Tigre. Their following was built on this uncompromising moral clarity, but with the rise of more volatile social powers in recent years has left me doubtful. Could the Lambrini Girl’s classic style of mocking the powers that be, still possess the effectiveness it once did? The set immediately ripped into the classic anthems that cemented their fame over the past two years, like God’s Country and ‘Lads Lads Lads’ that stewed over the systemic and misogynistic rips in british society. The energy on stage was matched only by the crucial crowd collaboration. Lunny consistently instigated the band’s customary call-and-response—a tradition I now recognized in my third review—fueling the back-and-forth energy of the show.From asking queer legends to stand up in ‘Help Me I’m Gay’ to maintaining a sustained rally of call-and-response in ‘Craig David’, the atmosphere transcended a typical punk show. In typical Lambrini Girls’ fashion, the mosh pit transformed into something from a Greek forum, where fans candidly encouraged to yell out about their experiences of harassment in their local music industry, prior to’‘Boys in the Band’ and continually reminded to pick anyone up who fell down during the mosh pit. Although the concert included many beloved traditions I had enjoyed during their Glastonbury sets, the music from their most recent album clearly demonstrated how their political punk had evolved in direct response to the UK’s recent, deepening polarisation. As their fame has grown, the Lambrini Girls appear to embrace their growing influence, spreading essential messages to a larger group, boycotting festivals and calling out anti-trans advocates.The Lambrini Girls’ commitment to leveraging their platform for change is evident, driving them definitively into the next, more influential stage of their musical journey. This political commitment has defined their current era of music, with the unapologetic aggression of ‘Cuntology 101’, and the searing critique of toxic masculinity found in ‘Big Dick Energy.’ Tracks like ‘Bad Apple’ remain brutally on the nose, using punchy, repetitive lyrics to indict deep-seated issues with the police force. Their sound is changing as their fame takes off, but fortunately, their key messages stay the same. For this musically vulnerable shift, I feel hopeful. It suggests their message will not only be heard by the multitudes, but will resonate deeply enough to provoke lasting social change. You Might Also Like Recent Posts