Brighton-based four-piece congratulations is set to release their highly anticipated debut album, Join Hands, on February 13, 2026, via Bella Union. This 10-track collection is a high-powered, fast-paced assault of unbridled, intensely groovy indie dance rock. The album is framed as a bright-eyed plea to listeners to shed their worries and let the good times roll, promising an injection of infectious energy into the indie scene.
To usher in the announcement, the quartet has released the lead single, “Fought 4 Love,” a masterpiece of dance rock and new wave pop. The track kicks off with a floor-stomping, thunderous riff that is both groovy and thunderous. The song is explicitly a Devo-inspired “anti-love song” supported by a music video centered on a chaotic speed-dating event where the participants ultimately opt for a giant collective party over romance.
Commenting on the track, the band say:
“There are so many songs out there about love; falling in love, being in love, but what about falling out of love? No, not a breakup song, there are plenty of those, this is an anti-love song, realising that sometimes letting go of love is the best thing for you, that we all grow up and apart and that’s actually fine – embrace this, celebrate it, move onto the next stage of your life, and enjoy your own company and have a great time.”
Composed of Leah Stanhope on vocals, Jamie Chellar on guitar, Greg Burns on bass, and James Gillingham on drums, the band is meticulous in their chaotic vision. Clad in their distinctive primary colour uniforms, the quartet diligently balances ’80s synth-pop, ’00s indie, and modern rock experimentalism, creating a sound that feels both deliciously nostalgic and firmly of-the-now. Writing about everything from delusional millennials to “really good haircuts,” congratulations has built a career on taking not taking themselves seriously to an extreme, making Join Hands one of the most exciting debut prospects of 2026.
