2024 was a year of bold statements and boundary-pushing artistry in music. Geordie Greep’s “The New Sound” delivered eccentric brilliance, while Amyl and The Sniffers’ “Cartoon Darkness” was a feral punk triumph. Crack Cloud’s “Red Mile” explored introspective depths, and Fat White Family’s “Forgiveness Is Yours” embraced chaotic experimentation. Charli XCX’s “brat” dominated culture, merging hyper-pop with electronic sleaze, while Kendrick Lamar’s surprise “GNX” was a victory lap of West Coast swagger. Nia Archives redefined jungle with “Silence is Loud”, and Lynks’ “Abomination” was a defiant, danceable debut. The Last Dinner Party’s “Prelude to Ecstasy” proved grandeur can be electric, and Fontaines D.C. reinvented themselves with “Romance”. Whether in folk, punk, electronica, or pop, 2024 was a year of fearless reinvention.
As 2025, the Year of the Snake, finally arrives, let's see who our Minks have defined as their "Ones to Watch" slithering into the year.
Charlemagne
Chosen by Chiara Strazzulla
Very rarely does a band, especially one so young, couple an extremely high level of technical finesse with an intensity of performance that can feel in places almost threatening (in a good way, of course – threatening like old-school punk used to be). Charlemagne is that band. There is something a little conceptual, too, to what they are doing, starting with the rather solemn name they have chosen for themselves and leaking into the way their live performances are delivered. Arising from the ranks of the ever lively London grassroots scene, it has taken only the first handful of live shows for everyone in the audience to feel like something very interesting is on the verge of happening with this band – and when it happens, you want to be there for it.
The New Eves & Bishopskin
Chosen by Otis Hayes
The New Eves
Having released a few singles since 2023 The New Eves have already managed to drum up the attention of music and art lovers alike. Shining brightly as if a guiding light hanging high above in the moody night sky, the four piece group serve as a navigation method towards raw and unapologetic expression, which often finds itself perched somewhere in between folk and post-punk. Unafraid to let their freak flag fly for all to admire, The New Eves follow in the footsteps of acts such as The Raincoats, Patti Smith and The Velvet Underground, adopting aspects from such inspirations while adding their own unique flavours into the mix, the result is deeply expressive and genuine down to the bone. Shrieking violins meet silky flutes, brooding bass lines tangle amongst experimental guitar and cello melodically drifts throughout whilst drums are beaten often with creative simplicity. All of these elements come together to serve as the perfect canvas for The New Eves to pass vocals between one and another, with all revealing their individuality whilst simultaneously complementing each other, whether that be through spoken word, tribal-like howls or simply letting loose and screaming at the top of one's lungs. With a knack for writing music which knows when to be simple and when to be complex but always has a unique and creative edge, The New Eves are able to hold a mirror up to the past whilst simultaneously reflecting a glimpse towards the future, making them a group certainly worth keeping an eye firmly fixed upon.
Bishopskin
Bishopskin feels like a family which you can be a part of, an inviting and exciting band which is inclusive of all from the bohemian to the conventional. The London based group are able to cast a lasting spell which quickly turns the average fan into a disciple, spreading the message towards anyone who is wise enough to take note. With great aptitude for creating music that sounds as ancient and undiscovered as it does fresh and familiar, Bishopskin are a totally unique act within the current music scene, standing strong against the tide like an undiscovered island waiting to reveal itself along with all of its hidden mysteries to the world. Lead singer Tiger Nicholson often writes about religion and bygone times, expressing his poetic lyrics through spoken word, primal grunts and distinctive hearty melodies, feeling as though he bares a little more of his soul to the audience with each and every note he produces, he is one of the most authentic and true to himself frontman out there. Backed by a tight band who play a long list of instruments from the usual suspects such as guitars and drums to the lesser utilised cellos and fiddles, the group produce intricate music which spans across a wide range of genres including rock, folk, jazz, classical, avant-garde and almost anything in between. Having released their debut album entitled ‘Babble’ during 2023 and continuing to put on high energy performances which are cathartic in nature since, Bishopskin have the ability to take a crowd and turn their energy in a room into an almost cult-like ritual. Bishopskin truly is an exciting prospect that continues to innovate what it means to be a musician in 2025, all the while producing captivating art that encapsulates a profound range of human emotions and experiences.
Dog Race & Y
Chosen by Angelika May
Dog Race
Dog Race is a band you need on your radar for 2025. I discovered them serendipitously one morning while bracing for another day, with BBC Radio 6 serving as my loyal companion for the morning routine. Dog Race were introduced to listeners with their track,
“The Leader” and my routine was shattered—Katie Healy’s operatic and hypnotic vocals immediately demanded my attention. This five-piece delivers a magnetic blend of foreboding, synth-heavy goth rock, curated by Dillon Willis and driven by Will McNab’s relentless bass lines, Jed Finkelstein’s perfectly balanced beats, and James Kelly’s riffs that hook you like bait on a line. With their unpredictable nuance and unstoppable momentum, Dog Race is undoubtedly on an upward trajectory. I had the privilege of seeing them live at the Left of the Dial festival, where I was spellbound by Healy’s stage presence, performing barefoot and enigmatic, almost ritualistic. The music moved through her as an untamed force, yet so gentle in its execution; a delicate haunting. RIP Andrzej Żuławski, you would have loved Dog Race.
Y
Y, formed by Adam Brennan and Sophie Coppin during a period of isolation, have cultivated a fresh new sound described as “wonk rock” (get ready to have your socks wonked right off!) or “Gameboy thrash” (a nostalgic dive into bleepy lo-fi), drawing from eclectic influences. With ties to Fat White Family, Meatraffle, and Pregoblin, Y’s hypnotic title track Why, which premiered on BBC 6 Music, offers a glimpse into how their explosive live energy has been captured and translated into their recorded work, setting the stage for their highly anticipated debut EP Y, set for release on April 4th.
Cardinals & Quade
Chosen by Luke Rea
Cardinals
Cardinals self-titled debut EP (released via So Young) was one of best introductions to a new band in recent memory. With six tracks that pushed their sound in all different directions, the band put their range of full display, whilst still delivering a record that was seamlessly cohesive. Unafraid to flirt with the poetry and aesthetics of The Pogues and still commit to a room-filling chorus, the band marries pop melodies with noise and an Irish fondness for storytelling, all filtered through Cork’s DIY aesthetic. Throughout their recent interviews with So Young, NME and Rolling Stone, the band’s songwriting ambition has been clear, with an album at the top of their hit list. With their devotion to songwriting and relentless touring schedule, there’s no doubt, 2025 will be their year.
Quade
In 2023, Quade released ‘Nacre’ through AD 93. Haunting and hopeful, their expansive debut washed distant post-rock with sprawling soundscapes and brooding vocals. Known for their hypnotic live shows, they spent 2024 consolidating the ground made on their debut album, making frequent trips to Europe and playing a number of notable festivals including Mutations and Left of the Dial. Emerging amongst a wave of excellent boundary-pushing groups from Bristol, including Haal and Minor Conflict, Quade have carved out their own space sonically, gaining adoration from the likes of Squid along the way. With whispers of a new album abound, Quade begin 2025 with a devoted audience quietly anticipating their next move.
TTSSFU
Chosen by Hazel Blacher
Channelling their eccentric parasocial curiosities and innermost demons into a ruminative well of lush, immersive shoegaze, TTSSFU, aka Manchester-based Tasmin Stephens, has been gathering an inordinate amount of steam over the last year or so. Following the release of her mesmeric debut EP ‘Me, Jed and Andy’, a record that thematically explores pop artist Andy Warhol’s historically complex and often toxic relationship with partner Jed Johnson, Stephens has since announced their signing to legendary indie label Partisan Records and appeared on coveted industry bills such as the Green Man Rising Stage and the 2025 Great Escape festival. Lucid with shoegaze nostalgia, and yet still tinged with an air of levitational mystique that speaks to the angsty dreamer in all of us, TTSSFU is so fucking cool that the only logical direction for them to float towards is the stars.
The Orchestra (for now)
Chosen by Charlie Brock
The Orchestra (for now) is one of 2025's more intriguing prospects: born out of the familiar and highly regarded Windmill scene from South London. TOFN are a rich sonic mix: traditional band instrumentation is met with strings and keys, giving the group a similar feel to Black Country, New Road, but the band take a more industrial, gritty rock route from their Windmill contemporaries. Staggeringly frantic and heavy breakdowns are an integral part of The Orchestra (for now)'s sound, distinguishing them from their arty, post rock peers. While we only have one released track, the group's live reputation precedes them and 2025 is set to be a breakout year for The Orchestra (for now).
Tanzana
Chosen by Jed Morgans
With just one single, Covet, released, Tanzana has swiftly emerged as one of the most intriguing and captivating bands around. Based in Glasgow, Scotland, they’ve spent the past year building a well-earned reputation for their electrifying live performances, most recently playing the iconic King Tut’s. With a style reminiscent of The Last Dinner Party, vocals that echo Amy Winehouse, and the raw edge of Radiohead, Tanzana is poised to make 2025 their year and we’re here for it every step of the way.
Goblin Band & Test Plan
Chosen by A. L. Noonan
Goblin Band
To look at the contemporary landscape of British and Irish music, it is undeniable that we are experiencing a true, earnest and fiercely radical resurgence in folk. While the world of traditional music has always been consistent and community-driven, the attention now turning to the bands coming out of the genre is concentrated and ever growing. At the vanguard in Britain are Goblin Band. Political, inclusive, dynamic and supremely well-versed in the music of yesteryear, Goblin Band are as ‘legit’ as folk artists come. Like jazz, folk is music to be experienced live, and Goblin Band are THE essential live group working in the country at the moment. From the rousing cries of desperation in ‘The Prickle Holly Bush’ and the tight harmonies of folk club classic ‘John Barleycorn’, to the humour of ‘Widecombe Fayre’ and the stirring spiritual ‘When I Die’, Goblin Band define the current folk music renaissance. We are very lucky to be able to experience them at such a moment before they blossom from scene darlings to genre defining stalwarts akin to The Watersons, Shirley Collins and Peter Bellamy who came before. Their upcoming album ‘A Loaf of Wax’, recorded live at MOTH Club is set to be released in March.
Test Plan
For nigh on ten years, the London music scene - while producing flashes of excellence - has stagnated in a mire of vacuous and cookie-cutter post-punk. test plan are one of the rare but wholly true exceptions to this notion. Blistering, whirring and gothic in equal parts, the North London three-piece encapsulates the rabid catharsis that made British post-punk a world-changing force. Winds of guitar feedback and noise are punctuated by crunching drums and throbbing bass, all made whole by howls of angst and frenzy. Blending noise-rock, dance-punk and elements of post-hardcore, test plan are force in motion. While ‘Walking in a Vacuum’ scratches and screams with the frenetic drive and intensity of Daughters, what lies at its nucleus is an intensely danceable thumper of a track. ‘It’s Not Enough’ sits in the more gothic element of the group, invoking the cold atmosphere of Eastern European rock music of the 90s while harking back to a lineage of darkness via Joy Division or Bauhaus. A live act like no other, the sound and the fury of test plan are unrivalled - the performances of drummer Max Mason in particular are frightening, tortured and purifying. Their newest single ‘Teeth’ will be released in the coming months followed by a European tour.
Comments