Neck Deep

Originating in Wrexham, Wales, the pop-punk group Neck Deep built a following through their lively, melody-rich compositions that brought both recognition and commercial breakthroughs on either side of the Atlantic. Early grassroots support in the 2010s came via two independently issued EPs, after which the band joined the Hopeless Records roster and secured multiple U.K. Independent number ones, among them Life's Not Out to Get You in 2015 and The Peace and the Panic in 2017. The latter release reached number four on the U.S. pop charts, confirming their broad reach. Lineup shifts notwithstanding, Neck Deep maintained momentum into the following decade with the 2020 concept album All Distortions Are Intentional and a self-titled collection issued in 2024.

The band began in 2012 as a D.I.Y. venture started by vocalist Ben Barlow and guitarist Lloyd Roberts. Following a pair of self-released online songs, they delivered their debut EP, Rain in July, toward the end of 2012. As part of a fresh wave of pop-punk acts, Neck Deep drew from Fall Out Boy, New Found Glory, and Sum 41 while refreshing the style's established approach. To broaden their sound, Barlow and Roberts recruited scene associates Matt West on guitar, bassist Fil Thorpe-Evans, and drummer Dani Washington. Their follow-up EP, A History of Bad Decisions from 2013, drew sufficient notice to secure initial overseas dates that attracted major-label interest. Signing with Hopeless Records in August 2013, they released their first full-length, Wishful Thinking, the next January. Positive response led to extensive 2014 touring in the U.K. and U.S. alongside We Are the In Crowd and Knuckle Puck, plus a Vans Warped Tour run. Sophomore effort Life's Not Out to Get You appeared in August 2015 to strong fan and critical response. Prior to the next album, Roberts departed and was succeeded by guitarist Sam Bowden, previously of Climates and Blood Youth. Bowden's first recordings appeared on 2017's The Peace and the Panic, which led the U.K. charts and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200. In 2018 Neck Deep contributed to Songs That Saved My Life with a cover of Ednaswap's "Torn," after which Thorpe-Evans exited for production work and was replaced by former tour photographer Joshua Halling on bass. Ahead of a 2019 summer tour with blink-182 and Lil Wayne, the band issued the singles "Don't Tell Me" and "She's a God."

At the start of 2020, Ben Barlow's brother Seb assumed Halling's bass role. Neck Deep further explored new directions on the concept album All Distortions Are Intentional, which traces the emotional arc of characters Jett and Alice. Like its predecessor, it topped the U.K. Rock and Independent charts and featured singles such as "When You Know" and "Lowlife." By 2023 drummer Washington had been succeeded by Matt Powles. Proceeding without interruption, the band tracked their subsequent album internally at their Wrexham studio with Seb Barlow handling production. The resulting self-titled set arrived in January 2024 and was viewed as a return to foundational strengths centered on melodic craftsmanship and forceful, high-energy rock.