Ones to watch

Listener Suggestions

This week is all about your recommendations. Over the past few months, you've been sending me bands through Instagram, email, TikTok and after gigs, so I thought it was about time I let the listeners take over the playlist. Episode 8 is packed with twenty tracks chosen by you, featuring everything from indie rock and post-punk to alternative anthems and hidden gems that deserve a much bigger audience. On this week's playlist: * Lady Twostar – Abattoir * Pouch – It Ain't Pretty * The Mandrills – Where To Begin * Isolation – England's Burning * Airflo – Weak Smile * Montello – See You Right * Arienas – Holy Grail * Father's Moustache – Outpost * The High Flats – Revolution * Arson – HTH * Step Out – Stuck In The Dark * The Vandervalls – Tangerine * Luna Rosa – The Luge * Coast – Moonlight * Sunday TV – Perfect * The Cruellas – Karaoke Queen * Bayboards – Lipstick and Cigarettes * The North – Can't Sleep * Raynor – Break Me Down * Sprints – Little Fix A huge thank you to everyone who sent in suggestions. If your recommendation didn't make it this time, don't worry—keep them coming because there will definitely be another listener special in the future. If this is your first time listening, don't forget to check out the previous episodes: * Episode 1: Belters * Episode 2: Lighter * Episode 3: Different * Episode 4: Females * Episode 5: Heavier * Episode 6: Happy * Episode 7: Ones to Watch If you know a band making great music that deserves more ears, I'd love to hear from you. 📧 Email: otbtuk@gmail.com [otbtuk@gmail.com] 📸 Instagram: @otbt.uk [http://otbt.uk] ▶️ YouTube: @otbtuk 🎵 TikTok: @off.the.beaten.tr7 Thanks for listening and for helping make Off the Beaten Track a place where great music gets discovered. Turn it up, support these bands, and if you enjoy the episode, share it with someone who's always looking for their next favourite band.

Ones to watch

This week’s episode is all about bands that feel like they’re right on the edge of something bigger. The kind of artists you discover in a tiny venue or late-night playlist and immediately want to tell people about before they blow up. We’ve got shimmering indie from Freight, huge energy from Arkayla, and the cinematic atmosphere of Dakota Avenue. Harvey Jay Dodgson brings pure heart-on-sleeve songwriting with Caroline, while The Public Eye and The Runaway Club deliver the sort of infectious hooks that stay in your head for days. Elsewhere, Bleech 93 crash through with Cannonball, Fog Bandits lean darker and moodier on Vile, and Headwired bring a swirling alt-rock edge with Carousel. Freddie Halkon’s Girl in the Smoking Area feels like a snapshot from a messy night out, while The Assist keep things sharp and anthemic with What’s Best for Me. There’s dreamy colour and late-night neon running through CRUZ’s Disco Coloured Beams, big emotion from The Harbours and Florentenes, and absolute chaos in the best way from Panic Shack’s The Ick. Honey Motel slow things down beautifully with If You Didn’t Exist, before Balancing Act, Shangrlas and The Publics close things out with style, swagger and a serious sense of fun. If you’re into discovering new bands before everyone else catches on, this episode’s packed with names worth keeping an eye on. Indie, alt-pop, post-punk, dreamwave — it’s all here, and every track feels like the start of something.

Happy

In this episode of Off The Beaten Track, we bring together a collection of uplifting indie tracks that capture those moments you don’t want to end — late nights, early mornings, and everything in between. It’s not forced positivity or overproduced chart hits… just real music that naturally lifts your mood. From sun-soaked melodies to carefree, danceable rhythms, Happy is built to feel like a good day — the kind that sneaks up on you and stays with you. Featuring artists like The Kasms, Sam Scherdel, The Lilacs, CVC, Vistas, and The Lathums, this episode blends energy, nostalgia, and emotion into one seamless listen. If you’re looking for music that makes you feel something — without hearing the same songs everyone else is playing — you’re in the right place. Music they don’t play on the radio.

OTBT Interviews Harvey Jay Dodgson

This week on Off The Beaten Track, I’m joined by the brilliant Harvey Jay Dodgson for an interview you genuinely don’t want to miss. We talk about his journey into music, the reality of being an independent artist, songwriting, gigs, influences, and a load of stories and moments you won’t hear anywhere else. It’s honest, funny, interesting, and a proper look behind the curtain at life as a musician. If you’re into new music, guitar music, discovering artists before everyone else, or you just enjoy a good conversation, this is the episode for you. Go and listen to my interview with Harvey Jay Dodgson now on Off The Beaten Track, available on all podcast platforms.

Heavier

Episode 5: Heavier This time on Off the Beaten Track, we turn the volume up and the mood darker. Heavier dives into the grit — thicker riffs, pounding drums, raw vocals, and that edge-of-the-stage energy that makes your chest rattle a bit. From hard-hitting indie to full-throttle alternative and post-punk bite, this episode is built around tracks that carry weight. Not just louder — but deeper, darker, and more intense. The kind of songs that don’t just soundtrack your day… they take it over. If you like your guitars snarling, your basslines rumbling, and your choruses shouted rather than sung, this one’s for you. Strap in. It’s getting loud.