New British Psychedelic Rock Bands to Check Out
Looking for something new to listen to? Check out these up-and-coming British psychedelic rock bands that are sure to get you grooving.
The Horrors
The Horrors are a British rock band, formed in Southend-on-Sea in 2005. The band’s lineup consists of lead vocalist Faris Badwan, guitarist Joshua Third, bassist and keyboardist Rhys Webb, drummer Joe Spurgeon, and synthesizer player and backing vocalist Tom Furse. Their musical style has been compared to several genres, including garage rock, psychedelic rock, and gothic rock.
The Horrors released their debut album Strange House in 2007 to positive reviews from music critics. The follow-up, Primary Colours (2009), reached number 16 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Skying (2011), their third album, also peaked at number 16 in the UK and was acclaimed by music critics. It was nominated for the Mercury Prize — an annual award given to the best British or Irish album of the year — and won Best Album Artwork at that year’s NME Awards. The Horrors’ fourth album, Luminous (2014), debuted at number five on the UK Albums Chart.
The band’s fifth studio album, V (2017), became their first to top the UK Albums Chart. In September 2019, The Horrors announced that they had signed a worldwide deal with Universal Music Group subsidiary Caroline International, and would be releasing a new album in early 2020.
The Wytches
The Wytches are a British psychedelic rock band from Brighton, England. The band was formed in 2011 by singer-songwriter and guitarist Kristian Bell, bassist Daniel Rumsey, and drummer Gianni Honey. The band’s debut album, Annabel Dream Reader, was released in 2014 to critical acclaim. Since then, the band has released two EPs and a live album.
The Wytches’ music is influenced by 1970s punk and garage rock as well as 1960s Psychedelic Rock bands such as The 13th Floor Elevators and The Sonics. Bell has said that the band’s goal is to write “modern psychobilly” songs.
The Wytches have been praised for their powerful live performances. In 2014, NME named the band one of the “10 New Bands You Need to Know” and said they were “one of the most exciting new bands around”.
The Raveonettes
The Raveonettes are a Danish duo, consisting of Sune Rose Wagner on guitar, backing vocals, and occasional lead vocals, and Sharin Foo on bass, lead vocals, and occasional organ. They are noted for their noirish take on pop music, featuring reverb-drenched electric guitars played in perfect unison with strong vocal melodies. The duo’ssongwriting is heavily influenced by late 1950s and early 1960s pop music.
Drenge
Drenge are an English two-piece alternative rock band, formed in 2010 by brothers Eoin Loveless (guitar, vocals) and Rory Loveless (drums, vocals). The band’s name is taken from a song by Nirvana. They have released three studio albums, Drenge (2013), Undertow (2015) and Strange Creatures (2019). All three albums were produced by Ross Orton.
The band’s debut album, Drenge, was released on 30 September 2013. It reached number 26 on the UK Albums Chart and was nominated for the 2014 Mercury Prize. Their second album, Undertow, was released on 18 May 2015. It reached number 13 on the UK Albums Chart and was nominated for the 2015 Ivor Novello Award for Best Album. The band’s third album, Strange Creatures, was released on 22 February 2019 and reached number 9 on the UK Albums Chart.
The Kooks
The Kooks are a British four-piece indie rock band from Brighton, East Sussex, formed in 2004. The band consists of Luke Pritchard (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Hugo White (lead guitar, keyboards), Alexis Nunez (drums) andPedro Greig (bass guitar).
Their first album, Inside In/Inside Out, reached #2 on the UK Albums Chart and contained the hit singles “Naive” and “She Moves in Her Own Way”. The follow-up album, Konk, peaked at #1 in 2008 and included the singles “Always Where I Need to Be” and “Shine On”. Their third studio album, Junk of the Heart, was released on 12 September 2011.
The Kooks have sold over 1.5 million albums worldwide.
