Blaenavon - That's Your Lot: The Bedroom Tapes (2017)

Hampshire, U.K.-born indie pop trio Blaenavon (pronounced bline-av-un) combine vibrant melodies and rhythms with darker lyrics and themes. Ben Gregory (vocals), Frank Wright (bass), and Harris McMillan (drums) met midway through secondary school, where, upon discovering their musical talents, they quickly formed a band. At first it was just for fun, until they won a talent contest in 2013 with a cover of Muse's "Knights of Cydonia." With a newfound drive -- and a freshly inked recording deal with Transgressive -- they released their debut EP, Koso, all while juggling their studies and finishing GCSE exams. Over the next two years, the band prioritized their education, and although they performed on a semi-regular basis, they spent most of their time studying for their A Levels. As soon as they finished the exams they reunited on a full-time basis, releasing their second EP, Miss World, by the end of 2015. By the beginning of 2016, Blaenavon's popularity was on the rise, paving the way for a busy touring schedule; their 2016 tour culminated in a string of festival appearances, including shows at Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, Latitude, and SXSW. They spent the latter half of the year recording with Jim Abbiss (Arctic Monkeys, Björk, Adele), and their debut full-length, That's Your Lot, saw release in early 2017. ~ Liam Martin.