HONESTY
HONESTY is not a band in the traditional sense. With four core members — George Mitchell, Matt Peel, Josh Lewis and Imi Marston — and a rotating cast of collaborators which have included musicians and visual artists such as Kosi Tides, Softlizard, Rarelyalways, Florence Shaw and Liam Bailey, the Leeds-based collective emerged as an exercise in doing things differently on a journey towards self-acceptance.
HONESTY’s vital debut album U R HERE, released in February 2025, melds influences ranging from Mount Kimbie and My Bloody Valentine to Björk and Burial. The result is a subtly exhilarating take on club music that has become HONESTY’s signature — and the reason they are one of the most essential dance acts emerging from the UK.
Individually and as a collective, HONESTY have found a way to break themselves down and rebuild into something new each time, evolving through their idiosyncratic audio-visual shows. Where they go from here is anyone’s guess.
FFO / Mount Kimbie, Burial, Live Visuals
Sprawl Magazine / Bathing Suits live event tickets
BATHING SUITS
Operating under the mantra “Always dancey. Always loud. Always sexy,” Bathing Suits fuse abrasive guitars with pummelling techno to create a visceral noise-trance sound. Drawing inspiration from the frenetic energy of Model/Actriz and Psychotic Monks alongside the raunchy edge of early-2010s pop, their new single “Empathy” (Underplay Recordings) is a seven-minute club exorcism produced by DJ Subaru.
Born from Leeds’ DIY party scene, the band have built a reputation for their high-octane live shows, sharing stages with Prostitute, Man/Woman/Chainsaw and TTSSFU, and appearing at festivals including Transmusicales, The Great Escape and Green Man.
FFO / Gilla Band, Model/Actriz, Psychotic Monks
KIOSK
Leeds-based electronic duo Kiosk make dance-punk influenced by the city’s diverse DIY scene. Their sound shifts between post-punk inflected dance beats, dreamy soundscapes and pounding techno noise, combining drum machines and analogue synthesis with raw lyrics and heavily processed bass.
FFO / Crystal Castles, Suicide
TERZA RIMA
@terzarimaband
Terza Rima make understated guitar pop from Nottingham. Echoes of The Wake, Orange Juice and Her’s run through the songs, but so does a sense of place: city centres after dark, empty streets, familiar faces and the strange poetry of everyday life. Built around chiming guitars and melodic basslines, their music favours patience and atmosphere over immediacy.
@sprawlmagazine
www.sprawlmagazine.co.uk
