Blaenavon

Originating from Hampshire in the U.K., indie pop trio Blaenavon—pronounced bline-av-un—fuses bright melodies and grooves with more somber lyrics and subject matter. Vocalist Ben Gregory, bassist Frank Wright, and drummer Harris McMillan first crossed paths midway through secondary school. After uncovering their shared musical skills, they formed the group on the spot, initially viewing it as a lighthearted hobby until claiming victory in a 2013 talent contest through their version of Muse's "Knights of Cydonia." That win supplied new momentum, prompting a recording agreement with Transgressive and the rollout of debut EP Koso while the members balanced coursework and completed GCSE exams. During the following two years they placed schooling first, appearing only on a semi-regular basis as they prepared for A Levels. Once those tests ended, the trio reconvened on a full-time footing and delivered second EP Miss World by the close of 2015. Momentum built into early 2016, opening the door to a packed touring calendar whose final stretch included festival slots at Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, Latitude, and SXSW. The latter portion of the year was spent tracking material with Jim Abbiss (Arctic Monkeys, Björk, Adele), setting the stage for the early 2017 arrival of debut album That's Your Lot.