Off The Beaten Track - Music they don't play on the radio

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.

Females

Episode 4 - Females This episode is a full-throttle wander through the global underground: girl-fronted indie, post-punk edges, shout-along choruses, and bands that feel like they should already be headlining your local venue. From Stoke to Sydney, Cardiff to Canberra, Nottingham to New Zealand — this is discovery hour. New favourites, future festival names, and songs that sound better the louder you play them. One band even came via my daughter Emily… and yes, she was right. 🎧 Featured in this episode: * Lissy Taylor — Jealous (Stoke-on-Trent) * Cody Frost — Violence (Burnley) * Spyres — Hated You First (Glasgow) * Girlband! — 21st Century Suffragette (Nottingham) * Dirty Blonde — Rage (Make Me Feel Pretty) (Manchester) * Karen Dio — Cut Your Hair (Brazil/UK) * Swim School — Alone With You (Edinburgh) * Air Drawn Dagger — You Should Have Known Better (Sheffield) * Panic Shack — Girl Band Starter Pack (Cardiff) * Ditzy Dog — Volatile (Sydney) * Hana Lili — Ur Girlfriend’s a Lawyer (Wales) * The Pill — Money Mullet (Isle of Wight) * Ally Evenson — Lucky Day (Detroit) * Girl Tones — Burnout (Kentucky) * The Tivolis — One on One (Rotherham) * Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers — Balcony (Canberra) * Alt Blk Era — My Drummer’s Girlfriend (Nottingham) * The Beths — Straight Line Was a Lie (New Zealand) * Martina and the Moons — Emigrate (Dublin) 📬 Get involved Got a band I should hear? Send tips, demos, and gig shout-outs to otbtuk@gmail.com [otbtuk@gmail.com] Follow along for playlists, clips, and new episodes: 📸 Instagram — @otbt.uk [http://otbt.uk] 📘 Facebook — Off the Beaten Track 🔥 About the show Off the Beaten Track is a podcast digging up new and emerging guitar bands from across the UK and beyond — the ones playing small rooms now but not for long. New episodes regularly. Go find a gig.