Hailing from Leeds, five-piece The Artists are creating a dangerous but delicious cocktail of indie coolness, punk riffs, soaring vocal harmonies, and a definitive British flavouring, which is without a doubt a cocktail that the music scene in Leeds can, and will, appreciate.

New single Here Comes the Storm is the latest offering from the band, drawing various, sometimes obvious, influences from the likes of Keiser Chiefs with their catchy, guitar driven hooks and sing-along vocals (also noticeably reminiscent of US pop-punk legends Alkaline Trio), and The Automatic’s blend of fun punk, pop and rock.

The sound of piano harmonies really stands out here, effortlessly whirling their way around the track, pulling everything together and adding a gentle but effective touch to the rocking speed of the guitars, drums and vocal melodies. I think this is something that really makes this band stand out, especially around the indie circuit. And although involving a piano within a rock band is not unheard of, it is a trait that, if placed perfectly, could grab them some major attention in the long run. At around three and a half minutes long, the pace of Here Comes the Storm is fast enough to keep your ears on edge and never gives up grabbing your attention, with a nice slab of guitar solo mixed in to keep the Hendrix within satisfied.

This band have been playing together now for almost eighteen months and you can really hear it in their sound, which I imagine is a reflection of how these lads play live and how they interact as a band when they write. Although this scene is a difficult one to break in to (having so many British indie rock bands around now to take into account), I think The Artists have an edge, that honestly does need to be pushed out and worked at, but could really get them the attention that they deserve. And through writing tracks as catchy as Here Comes the Storm, I think they definitely stand a chance.

The Artists currently have two EP’s to check out on iTunes; a four-track demo called Trick or Treating, and their new follow-up EP Magic Words, which was released early September.

Daniel Arthur