Here’s a fun fact: the entire reason we started this damn website was so that we could shout about our favourite bands to anyone who’s willing to give us the time of day.
So, with that in mind, let us keep this simple and share this with you. We went to see three brilliant bands in Bristol over the weekend, and we were very, very impressed by each and every one of them. Here’s a bit about each of ’em:
Haytor
Correct us if we’re wrong, but we think that Haytor are one of the most exciting bands to come out of South-West England for a while. They’re hard to define, but that’s precisely why we like them so much: on the one hand, they’re capable of writing beautifully touching indie-folk tracks (like the one we’ve embedded below), while on the other hand they’re more than capable of absolutely smashing a cover of Walk The Moon‘s Shut Up And Dance when the moment arises. Keep an eye out for these guys.
The Tin Pigeons
If cheerful and chirpy indie-pop is your thing, then you’re going to absolutely adore The Tin Pigeons. The Leicestershire four-piece have been making waves on the festival circuit for a couple of years now, and it’s easy to see why: not only is their unique blend of folk harmonies and jangly guitars extremely pleasing on the ears, but they’re probably one of the most genuinely uplifting live bands that we’ve come across for a long, long time. They’re heading out on a headline UK tour in April, with the promise of further live dates to come later in the year: if their set at Bristol’s The Louisiana is anything to go by, then you’d be foolish to miss them.
OUTLYA
We stumbled across these guys at last year’s Barn on the Farm Festival, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that we fell in love with them from the word go. They’ve taken the conventions of power-pop and added a synth-driven twist to it, with the end result being the closest thing we’ve ever experienced to being physically slapped in the face by an indie-pop chorus.
Oh, and as for their live shows? Yeah, it’s kinda impossible not to enjoy them. Whether they’re hurling themselves around the stage to the strains of the indiscriminately catchy Volcano, or walking into the middle of the audience for a hushed acoustic track (featuring the harmonising talents of the aforementioned The Tin Pigeons), they’re permanently entertaining; and, despite the fact that the temperature in this venue is probably high enough to safely roast a chicken, they never once hit a bum note throughout the entirety of their hour-long set. If that’s not the sign of a good live band, then we’re not sure what is.
So, if OUTLYA are ever in your town – and, as we’ve got a sneaky feeling that they’ll be heading out on the road again in September, there’s a fairly good chance of that happening soon – then we think you’d be an absolute fool not to go along. They’re energetic, they’re talented, and they were purpose-built for the good times; in our eyes, it’s impossible not to enjoy an OUTLYA show.