Hidden Herd Presents is Brighton’s monthly new music discovery night, spotlighting the most exciting emerging artists, ones-to-watch and hidden gems. This time around on Wednesday 12th February The Hope & Ruin will witness live sets from Flat Party, heavy wild, alphabet and Ski Lift.
Let’s meet the bands….
London-based six-piece Flat Party wrap flamboyance, humour and complex emotions around their urgent brand of indie rock. Influenced by icons like David Bowie and Suede – evident in vocalist Jack Lawther’s soaring, emphatic delivery – the band’s prolific output to date ranges from jagged art-rock to crooning 60s-tinged pop. Signed to Submarine Cat Records (home to ARXX, FEET, Swim Deep, Home Counties and Fräulein), the band’s second EP, ‘It’s All Been Done Before’, is a darker, more hedonistic and more dramatic collection than its predecessor. The singles have already been championed by DIY, Dork and The Line of Best Fit, along with spots on Spotify and Apple Music editorial playlists and airplay from Huw Stephens on BBC Radio 6 Music. On the road, Flat Party have headlined shows across the UK, appeared at The Great Escape Festival and Mutations Festival, and shared stages with English Teacher, Courting, Opus Kink and Goat Girl.
Listen HERE.
Since arriving on the UK scene in summer 2023, heavy wild have quickly gained attention with a string of impressive singles and a captivating live show. The band’s sound veers between the dreamy, grungy synth-rock of The Jesus and Mary Chain and the gothic, lo-fi post punk of Joy Division, while also echoing atmospheric contemporaries like Beach Fossils and Wild Nothing. Fronted by Wolfgang Harte – a co-founder of indie favourites Swim Deep – the trio have already amassed hundreds of thousands of Spotify streams and caught the ears of tastemakers at Clash Magazine and Notion. They’ve headlined across London and Brighton at Green Door Store and performed twice in Paris at Supersonic Club, sharing stages with kindred spirits like HighSchool as well as bands like Dog Race, Humane The Moon, Sloe Noon, Van Houten and bloody/bath.
Listen HERE.
With roots tracing back to their time in Brighton, where they first crossed paths playing in different projects, alphabet have emerged as one of London’s most exciting new alternative bands. Inspired by icons like The Cure, Slowdive and Sonic Youth, the four-piece bring a fresh shoegaze-esque sound, defined by punchy and ethereal co-lead vocals and guitars that are both melodic and abrasive. Since playing their debut show together just over a year ago, alphabet have been making waves, landing support slots with the likes of Egyptian Blue, Sunken, Humour and Splint, and being championed by post-punk powerhouses Fontaines D.C. and Shame. Their stellar debut singles, ‘Artificial Light’ and ‘Colour Fade’, have also received the backing of So Young Magazine and EARMILK and featured on Spotify’s Hot New Bands playlist.
Listen HERE.
Led by Welsh born Croydon-based songwriter Benji Tranter, alongside bassist and vocalist Lizzy Walsh and drummer Adam Fletcher, Ski Lift are a London-based power-pop trio acting out their teenage indie-rock dreams. Since forming in 2018, the group has played shows across London and throughout the UK, sharing stages with bands like Holiday Ghosts, ARXX and Mary in the Junkyard. Releasing a flurry of singles and a stellar new EP, ‘Fold In On Yourself’, they’ve received consistent radio support, including spins from Gemma Bradley on BBC Radio 1, Huw Stephens and Tom Robinson on BBC Radio 6 Music and John Kennedy on Radio X. The band has also been featured on Spotify editorial playlists like Fresh Finds and Feel Good Indie Rock, while their biggest single, ‘Portal’, racked up over 130,000 Spotify streams after being featured on the soundtrack for Channel 4’s Made in Chelsea.
Listen HERE.
Advance tickets are £11 and are on sale now from HERE.
