Hate is on trend, and so are UK band The Guest List
Picture by: @shotby.kris
"We believe you are going to be the next big thing."
Cai Alty and his bandmates hear something along these lines all the time, foretold like a musical prophecy. It is only right for a young British band like The Guest List, with such a fresh and rejuvenating sound, to be given this fairly ambitious prophecy. This time the words have come from two wise fans just after seven o'clock on a Monday evening in the fading London summer, on the first floor of the cozy Rough Trade store on Denmark Street, off the bustling and vibrant West End. Alty is set to lead an intimate acoustic show in the shop in half an hour, just four days before he and his band release their promising debut album.
The composed 20-year-old Alty and his four bandmates, Tom Quigley (lead guitar and additional vocals), Leio Hunter (rhythm guitar), Sid Wallace (bass), and Angus Gilchrist (drums) have only recently returned from an incredible trip to Japan, where they performed at various venues in Tokyo and Osaka and further developed their rapport on the road.
The five originally bonded over their love of music in school, and have since formed The Guest List in 2021. They began to thrive in the age of digital promotion and social media, amassing 8.3 million likes and 332,800 followers on TikTok, posting clips of original songs. Cited as the next Arctic Monkeys, the Mancunian group take pride in their own signature sound, drawing from classic indie rock and dream-pop genres whilst being unafraid to stray away from the labels that come from being a 'Manchester band'.
The band really do have a lot to say. Their first single, 'Steel Police' focuses on the unjust underworld of the music industry, whilst singles from their upcoming album Something Real raise awareness on climate change, domestic abuse, and the downsides of social media.
"Hate is on trend, bouncing around the parrot cages, sinking down the hole that never ends." Cai Alty opens the subdued set with the title track of the band's debut album, which is set to be released on 28th of August. The retrospective and resonant lyrics comment on the world's desensitization to war and hate due to social media, complex topics that are difficult to swallow for many, and are underpinned by a jangly guitar lick.
Alty explains to the buzzing crowd, who fill the floorboards of the music shop, that his next song of the night, 'The Other Ones', is about dementia, an issue seldom addressed in mainstream music. The Guest List create music to concisely address various societal issues and raise awareness, demonstrating the importance of artists and the real effect they can have on the wider world, whilst also showcasing their talent and their passion for music.
The band has every right to believe their fans and many other individuals in the music industry who believe them to be one of the UK's most promising musical prospects. Their intimate acoustic shows continue in Southsea, Bury, and Preston, after an emphatic and completely different style of performance at Reading and Leeds festival this weekend, before The Guest List embark on a UK and EU tour in October and November, marking exciting new times for an upcoming and relevant band.