The New Generation of Indie Talent: overpass Live in Stoke

Words: Darci Jackson

Photos: Izzi Glover

As we hurtle towards the end of the year, Saturday evening was but a glimpse of what to expect in the coming months. Freezing fingers, zipping your jacket up all the way, skies turning an inky blue as you wait outside the venue.

And we couldn’t be more excited.

Birmingham outfit, overpass, are currently halfway through their UK & EU tour, spanning across some iconic British venues such as Rescue Rooms and the Fulford Arms, as well as European festivals like Germany’s Reeperbahn Festival and The Netherlands’ Into The Great Wide Open.

However, we decided to head somewhere a bit closer to home. A snake of people stood outside Stoke-on-Trent’s The Sugarmill, in what might be the biggest queue we’ve ever seen outside that particular venue, all eagerly awaiting an evening packed with soaring choruses and electric riffs.

For a band very much still at the start of their journey, Manchester’s Florentenes certainly pack a punch. Opening the evening with their raw power and indie rock sensibilities, they led the already full venue in a tandem singalong for their catchy tune: Miss Understands.

Following up were an alternative enigmatic four-piece from London: Saint Clair. They carried an air of mystery and suspense with them, and by the end of the set had the crowd wrapped around their fingers as they listened, purely mesmerised by the haunting squeals of guitar and frontman Toby Bardsley’s enchanting drawl.

Read our interview with Saint Clair here.

Having recently finished a jam packed festival season, including slots at Kendal Calling and Boardmasters, overpass are no stranger to creating festival ready anthems that have you almost feeling like you’re back in that field as the sun beats down on the back of your neck.

Thunderous cheers erupted as the music came to an abrupt halt and the band strolled on stage, with the opening track Be Good To Yourself, taken from their recent Dependent EP simply lighting up the room.

They’re a four-piece heading the new generation of indie talent, their flying choruses intertwined with emotive anecdotes. Each minor part of their music slots together like jigsaw pieces coming together to create the overall picture that is overpass. They paint vivid pictures in your head with their melodic hooks and honest lyrics, creating an experience not only to be heard, but to be imagined as well.

The sound was absolutely crystal clear, like heading to the beach or a lake and being able to see the bottom with your naked eye, the water being so translucent that it glides through your fingers seamlessly. Frontman, Max Newbold, commanded the crowd with his gorgeous vocal range, headed up by bass player and backing vocalist India Armstrong’s silky harmonies.

Following up with hits Stay Up and Alright saw fans up on shoulders, fixated on the band, belting out word for word the huge songs.

overpass also tried out unreleased material, which was gladly welcomed by the crowd. A stand-out for us had to be Union Station which had a kind of intensity about it, peaking and troughing intermittently to create a heavier song that you wouldn’t otherwise find in the bands repertoire; a sign that the band are reaching out and exploring new horizons.

Taking the tone down just a touch with a stripped back version of From The Night, Newbold stepped back and let the Stoke crowd sing back every word as we were bathed in blue lighting almost in a dream-like state.

But before we got too settled, the vivacity was immediately brought back up with indie banger Otherside of Midnight, a sea of hands punching the air with varying degrees of vigour.

‘Let’s have a bounce,’ murmured Newbold before diving into headfirst into 3AM, guitarist Elliot Rawlings leading the way with the scintillating riff driving the crowd into a frenzy, in tandem with drummer Jake Bishops’ pin point drums vibrating around the dark purple walls.

Closing the curtains with the charming Beautiful, overpass have more than proved themselves to be an indie heavyweight, with a polished on stage presence to create a timeless performance that will only go from strength to strength.