One of the fastest rising unsigned bands in our world today, four-piece Crystal Tides are making waves in the music scene with their indie-rock musings. Based on the South Coast of England, they characteristically mix invigorating pop melodies with attention-grabbing guitar riffs. The band consists of vocalist Billy Gregory, guitarist Harry Knowles, bassist George Regan and Joe Knights on drums.

Currently, they may be an unsigned band, however, they’ve already managed to keep long-running spots on both Spotify’s Hot New Bands playlist and Virgin Radio’s playlist. Their latest track ‘Courtney Love’, has proved to be just as well-received as their previous hits by immediately being added to the X-Posure Playlist after its release by tastemakers John Kennedy and Lea Stonhill.

Despite sharing its name with one of the most infamous American singer-songwriters in musical history, it’s actually about, “fighting against people who take advantage of young musicians in the industry.” A bold choice for the fledgling band, but they have already admirably made it a well-known fact that they’re never going to shy away from making a statement. 

Undeniably confident and wholeheartedly assertive, ‘Courtney Love’ is a high-powered venture into 90’s Brit-rock mixed with an energetic indie melody. Perfectly topped off with all-encompassing guitars and Gregory’s characteristically soaring vocals, it’s sure to draw you in from the get-go. The chorus almost acts as a release from the pent-up rage experienced by many musicians starting out, especially with the current climate with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As Gregory sings, “now that I’m a little bit older, you don’t matter”, it’s as if the band is refreshingly reclaiming the outdated narrative for themselves – and about time too.

Prior to ‘Courtney Love’, they were included on Radio X Evening Playlist with their tracks ‘Deserter’ & ‘Ex’, and they’ve also had numerous tracks hailed as BBC Introducing Solent’s Track of the Week. From selling out hometown shows to making their name known in London and beyond, they’re evidently working their way up the ladder – as shown through their Spotify Wrapped statistics, totaling over 74.3k streams by 6.8k listeners in over 71 countries. The band has also impressively supported the likes of The Snuts and Larkins, as well as headlining both gigs and Victorious Festival’s Seaside Stage.

If Crystal Tides have informed us of anything with their past efforts, it’s that they’re not content to simply follow the status quo. They’re taking over the radio waves and reshaping the future of music, one track at a time.

Written by Camilla Whitfield

Photograph by Rhona Murphy