If there’s one thing working in the music industry teaches you, it’s that it’s a tumultuous and volatile place. With acts constantly rising and falling, tours being cancelled, and music venues closing down, not everyone who breaks through manages to stay above the choppy waves. And even those who stay afloat don’t necessarily decide that music is a permanent career choice for them.
Growing up with the 2014-2018 indie scene led to many glitter-clad evenings. Is that beer in my hair? (I hope it is) lines of questioning, and spending hours huddled outside venues before the doors open, hoping to catch a glimpse of our favourite artists (a signed setlist would be an obvious bonus). Getting the barrier wasn’t necessarily the goal, but we wanted the prime spots, the real estate that guaranteed you were the centre of the mosh pit, or you had the direct eyeline of the bassist doing that dance during that song.
Despite the denial that ageing is happening (I am not in my mid-twenties), I can’t help but notice the glaring side-effects of the passing of time – grief and loss being most prevalent. The scene is still alive and thriving — now with biodegradable glitter and slightly fewer fishnets — but I can’t help noticing the glaring gap left behind by disbanded acts.
Most inimitable and unrivalled in their sound, if you happened upon their Spotify now, the only chance you’d get to see them live is through grainy, shaky archival footage (we knew our throngs of videos would come in use someday).
1. Superfood
Known for their breezy indie-adjacent sound, Birmingham-hailing Superfood lived in the same vein as Swim Deep, Jaws and Wolf Alice, and their duo of albums saw them become one of the most revered indie bands of the mid-2010s. Despite it being almost six years since the band parted ways, the echoes of their influence can still be felt throughout the scene.
Their cryptic X post, however, leaves an air of hope that we might yet see a revival: “Right now the cogs of Superfood have slowed down and it’s time to go away and… clear our heads before we can give you something we’re truly happy with again…”
2. Pretty Vicious
Pretty Vicious had genuine stadium-promise, with drilling guitar lines and infectious vocals, their Catfish and The Bottlemen with that extra edge style catapulted them into Welsh-rock fame. The quartet broke up just a year after the release of their debut record, Beauty Of Youth – much to the surprise of fans – and rounded off their career with a final show in Cardiff.
3. Kawala
Announcing they’d be “Hanging up their boots” with the release of a collective album of their best works, Kawala bid farewell to their decade-long career with the record and farewell tour. Self-proclaimed as making pop music their dads weren’t ashamed of, Kawala’s career saw them support the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club and George Ezra.
4. The Magic Gang
Perhaps one of the most surprising splits yet, indie stalwarts The Magic Gang heralded a dedicated following and amassed an impressive collection of support slots – if you were going to see a band live, it’d be a rare find if The Magic Gang weren’t on the bill.
5. Yuck
Slightly pre-dating the popularity of the mid-’10s indie scene, Yuck found their home in infectious soundscapes and more stripped-back offerings (‘Southern Skies’), seamlessly and fluidly flitting between genres. To ‘celebrate’ a decade since the release of their self-titled debut record, Yuck announced their dissolution. Not all, however, left the music industry – ex-lead singer Daniel Blumberg recently won an Oscar for his original score for The Brutalist.
6. Sundara Karma
If there’s one band that’s had the most tattoos mocked up from their logo, Sundara Karma win by a landslide. Arguably the pioneers of the glitter-movement, much like The Magic Gang, Sundara Karma have garnered an impressive repertoire of support slots, all the while boasting a number of sold-out headline shows themselves. Perhaps regarded as the winners here with one of the most albums released before calling it quits, their third record, ‘Better Luck Next Time’ offered a retrospective foreshadowing of what the future held for the band.
7. The Blinders
While teetering more into punk than championing glittering indie, The Blinders stamped their name on the Manchester music scene, one which fans were reluctant to remove once they announced their split. The quartet held their “curtain call” show at Manchester’s New Century Hall before abruptly closing down their online store and ceasing to use their socials.
8. Jaws
Having not yet officially parted ways, psychedelic turned punk-infused outfit Jaws are embarking on their farewell tour later this month, allowing fans a final celebration and to hear their concluding offering – the single ‘Yours’ for both the first and final time.
While not break-ups in the traditional sense, this list wouldn’t be complete without acknowledging two bands the indie scene lost far too soon. The tragic death of Viola Beach sent shockwaves through the industry, with rainbow-patterned umbrellas becoming a poignant symbol of remembrance. Rock duo Her’s — who, along with their manager, lost their lives in a road accident while touring the U.S. — were honoured during Peach Pit’s tour with a heartfelt performance of What Once Was.
While the bands may not be releasing new music, or gracing stages anymore, all of their legacies live on through friendships, memories, and plenty of shaky concert videos.
JAWS, sundara karma, Superfood, The Blinders, The Magic Gang
