Hidden Herd Presents is Brighton’s monthly new music discovery night, spotlighting the most exciting emerging artists, ones-to-watch and hidden gems. The May edition will be taking place on Wednesday 7th May at The Hope & Ruin in Brighton and will witness live sets from four rising acts – these being Flat Party, Black Bordello, COWZ and Ski Lift.
Let’s meet the artists who will be performing…
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.
Since emerging out of the pandemic, Black Bordello have become one of the most promising burgeoning groups in the UK. Spearheaded by Sienna Bordello’s operatic vocals and vivid, fragmented lyricism, their metamorphic brand of alternative rock is enchanted with elements of vaudevillian chamber pop, post-punk, avant-garde gothic rock and progressive rock. The group – composed of Sienna Bordello, Daniel Gowers, Jerome Alexandre, Melody Wayfare and Indigo Pearce – have earned a strong live reputation and grassroots following. Since releasing their self-titled debut album, described by Loud and Quiet as “an exercise in world-building”, the band have supported The Libertines, Goat Girl, Bad Nerves and Fat Dog. Their single ‘Nunhead’ was recorded at Damon Albarn’s Studio 13 and remixed by David J Haskins, bassist of the legendary goth group Bauhaus. Black Bordello’s forthcoming second LP, ‘White Bardo’, steers the band’s songwriting in a more exploratory, outward-looking direction – a concentrated attempt to break away from obvious paths, exploring alternative perspectives with an open heart and a pinch of ink-black wit.
Brighton-based alt-pop duo COWZ, featuring Saga Wahlström and Tasha Nicholl, describe themselves as “bubble-gum pop in dire need of therapy.” Since forming, they’ve been making waves with their infectious sound and unique live show. Their self-produced debut EP, ‘That’s Cute! Baby’, was released in May, quickly racking up over 100K streams on Spotify alongside support from BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders, BBC Music Introducing and Radio X. Live, COWZ have shared stages with the likes of Welly, Getdown Services, Deep Tan and Congratulations. In 2023, they opened the TGE Beach stage at The Great Escape Festival and have also performed at Loud Women Fest, Victorious Festival, Homegrown Festival, Night Currents Festival and, most recently, MumFest.
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.
Advance tickets are £11 and are on sale now from HERE.
