THE FRONT ROW

The Manchester quartet prove the buzz is real with a thunderous second EP that roars with heart, hooks and honesty.

Some bands talk about being “the next big thing.” Florentenes just got on with it. HOMEGROWN is the sound of a band on a mission, refined by years of graft, venue floors sticky with spilled lager, and that particular North-of-England hunger that seems to breed the most magnetic indie outfits.

While still early in their journey, this second EP from the Manchester four-piece is their boldest step yet, and there’s no filler. Every track lands like it belongs on a bigger stage than the ones they’ve outgrown. If their 2024 debut hinted at promise, HOMEGROWN delivers on it.

‘The Gun’ – big riffs, bigger intentions

Opening track The Gun sets the tone instantly, swaggering, sharp and completely unapologetic. It’s a track built to open festival sets, with a riff that struts like a lad who’s just won the pub pool tournament and knows it. There’s a raw confidence here that recalls the early days of Arctic Monkeys, but where the Monkeys favoured social observation, Florentenes lean into emotional stakes and musical punch. Frontman William Smith delivers lines with a steady hand and a voice that blends grit with conviction.

This is the track you stick on to convert the unbelievers, it’s bold, tightly built, and makes its mark fast.

‘Fuel for the Flame’ – teenage angst never sounded so vital

Written when Smith was 16, Fuel for the Flame carries all the nervous electricity and hormonal angst of youth, but it’s channelled through the lens of a band who now know exactly how to shape that chaos into something anthemic. Soaring guitar solos from Luke Holding slice through the mix with real urgency, while the rhythm section (Harry Stubbs and Liam Fiddy) keep things locked in like lads who’ve been gigging non-stop for years.

There’s an emotional undercurrent that gives this track extra weight. It feels cathartic, like a deep exhale after years of holding your breath.

‘What It Takes’ – indie banger alert

Track three is the slow burn. After two storming openers, What It Takes invites you to breathe, pause, and actually listen. It’s stripped back in all the right places, steady drums, measured melodies, and a vocal that sounds like it’s been lived in. There’s an intimacy here that sets it apart from the rest of the EP. You’re not just hearing a band flex; you’re hearing them feel.

This is the track that makes your ears prick up. It’s not trying to win you over with noise, it’s earning your attention with something deeper. One of those rare moments where the room falls quiet, even at a gig. That is at least until the song erupts with a huge scream of vocals and an even bigger guitar solo to end. Queue the mosh-pit.

Fans of The Kooks or The K’s will feel right at home here, but there’s enough of a twist in the songwriting to give it its own flavour.

‘Miss Understands’ – indie confidence with heart

Closing track Miss Understands is the most colourful, carefree tune of the four. There’s an infectious brightness in its chorus that practically begs for a beer garden singalong, but beneath the sunny delivery is a subtle emotional complexity. “We wanted to write something that feels good without losing honesty,” Smith explained in a recent interview, and that intention shines here.

It’s indie at its most sure-footed. The kind of tune you want blasting out your mate’s car speakers at 11pm after a gig. The kind of tune that makes you check when they’re next on tour.

A self-assured leap forward

Where many bands second-guess themselves on a second release, HOMEGROWN feels like a band doubling down. That comes, in part, thanks to the guiding hand of producer Dave Eringa, whose work with the Manic Street Preachers and Jamie Webster proves he knows how to balance punch with polish. Here, he lets the grit show where it matters but elevates the band’s sound with the right amount of space and clarity.

Each member brings something essential: Smith’s vocals carry both edge and honesty; Holding’s guitar work is melodic but never showy; Stubbs and Fiddy lock in with such cohesion that you’d swear they’d grown up sharing a rhythm section since school.

Not hype. Just hard work.

What HOMEGROWN really captures is a band stepping into their identity. These aren’t just four tracks thrown together, they’re a loud, proud snapshot of a group coming into their own. If you’ve seen Florentenes live, you’ve felt the spark. This EP turns that spark into something you can carry with you.

It’s not overproduced or trying too hard, it’s honest, gritty, and full of the kind of details that make you fall in love with a band from the ground up. There’s heart in the imperfections and intent in every chorus.

Whether you caught the buzz at Sound City or you’re eyeing a date at Warrington or Portsmouth, now’s the time to tune in. Not because of the hype, but because it actually holds up.

---

For Fans Of: Arctic Monkeys, The Sherlocks, The Kooks
Standout Track: The Gun
Gig Tip: Go see them in a small venue while you still can.