Phoxjaw

Phoxjaw emerged in 2016 from Bristol, England, as an unconventional British indie rock outfit whose sound blends raw, grimy textures with propulsive intensity and melodic hooks, drawing heavily from grunge alongside early-2000s U.K. post-hardcore. The group coalesced from the remnants of the defunct bands Day of a Thousand and Black Elephant, initially featuring vocalist and bassist Danny Garland, guitarists Glenn Hawkins and Josh Gallop—who also engineered and produced every Phoxjaw recording—and drummer Kieran Gallop, Josh’s sibling. Their first public offering arrived in 2017 via the single “Victorian Dolls,” a track steeped in grunge and noise rock that showcased impassioned vocals. Keyboardist Huw Allen soon joined to expand the sonic palette, followed by Alexander Share, who contributed guitar, vocals, and songwriting. The band issued its debut EP, Goodbye Dinosaur, in late 2018. Extensive touring accompanied each subsequent release, gradually incorporating additional layers that shifted the music toward alt-metal and post-hardcore with experimental touches. Their surreal, self-deprecating humor and eccentric statements endeared them to journalists and enhanced an aura of intrigue, though Hawkins and later Allen eventually exited the lineup. Hassle Records signed the band in 2019 and put out the follow-up EP A Playground for Sad Adults; the two EPs were later combined into a two-disc package. Royal Swan, the group’s first full-length album, appeared in 2020 after being tracked inside a cramped Welsh cabin under the guidance of producer Lewis Johns. Their second album, notverynicecream, followed in 2023.