The Blinders

Inspired by Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, and Nick Cave, the Blinders formed as an alternative rock trio in Doncaster, U.K. The group first surfaced in 2016 via the EP Hidden Horror Dance before unleashing the visceral, raucous punk rock of their 2018 album Columbia on Modern Sky. Thomas Haywood on vocals and guitar, bassist Charlie McGough, and drummer Matthew Neale convened in 2014 while attending Manchester University. Throughout 2015 they composed and tracked material while gigging locally, quickly building a following for their high-octane energy, politically charged lyrics, and confrontational punk stance. The debut EP Hidden Horror Dance appeared on Modern Sky Entertainment in 2016 and received regular airplay on BBC Introducing and BBC 6 Music. In 2017 they issued the 7" single "Swine" and maintained a steady schedule of U.K. performances. The first half of 2018 was devoted to writing and recording Columbia, which Modern Sky released that September, prompting a headline tour across the U.K. In 2019 the band captured a sold-out show at Manchester’s Ritz on the live album Live at the Ritz before re-entering the studio. Producer Rob Ellis, known for his work with PJ Harvey and Anna Calvi, helmed the sessions that yielded the 2020 sophomore LP Fantasies of a Stay at Home Psychopath. The live release The Lounge Lizard Session sustained them through 2021, after which they issued the anthemic EPs Electric Kool-Aid, Pt. 1 and Electric Kool-Aid, Pt. 2 in 2022. Studio work on a third album began in 2023, resulting in Beholder, a brooding March 2024 release that explores the transition out of adolescence.