Welcome to Part 2 of our A-Z spotlight series, where we’re deep-diving into the artists who we think are destined to break out before 2028. Each month we’re taking on a new letter, picking out 10 acts spanning indie, country, metal, pop, rock, and everything in between. Some of them are already making noise, others are bubbling just under the surface, but all of them have that spark. Think of this series as your essential scouting report.
This time it’s the turn of the B’s, ten artists and bands who’ve got the craft, charisma, and catalogue to take things up a gear in the next few years. So whether you’re looking to freshen up your playlists, book a support slot, or get into a new genre altogether, start here.
1. Basht
Basht are a Dublin-born, London-based collective blending high-art aesthetics with sharp post-punk instincts. A theatrical outfit with a knack for sonic storytelling, their music exists somewhere between dystopia and desire, always pushing boundaries and expectations. Drawing from a vast palette that includes noise rock, cinematic soundscapes, and glam-inspired visuals, they create immersive experiences rather than just tracks.
Known for their striking live performances, Basht approach their music with a creative vision that stretches beyond genre, wrapping politically charged lyrics in brooding grooves and unrelenting atmosphere. This is music with teeth, brutal, beautiful, and utterly original.
FFO: The Murder Capital, The Horrors, The Fall
Track to Start With: “Never Love”
2. Bayboards
Manchester’s Bayboards are injecting a much-needed jolt of attitude into the UK indie scene. Combining kitchen-sink realism with soaring hooks, their music captures that messy space between youth and adulthood, full of messy nights, big dreams, and sharp northern wit.
Bayboards have built a reputation for their high-energy live sets, but it’s the songwriting that really sets them apart. There’s honesty here, paired with a clear understanding of how to write earworms that stick. It’s indie rock that feels both classic and completely fresh, grounded in experience but wide open in ambition. Keep an eye on these lads; they’ve got the spark and the songs.
FFO: The Snuts, Inhaler, Catfish and the Bottlemen
Track to Start With: “Get You Down”
3. Bottle Rockets
Bottle Rockets are one of the most exciting bands to emerge from Scotland’s underground in recent years. Blending alt-rock dynamics with shoegaze textures, they make music that feels simultaneously intimate and cinematic. Their lyrical depth, often focused on heartbreak and disconnection, is matched by crashing soundscapes that envelop the listener.
Winners of BBC Introducing’s Scottish Act of the Year 2024, the Glasgow quartet are drawing comparisons to genre icons while carving a distinctive lane of their own. Their ability to shift between fragility and ferocity makes them a captivating listen, never predictable, always potent.
FFO: Slowdive, Placebo, The Twilight Sad
Track to Start With: “Video Call”
4. Brogeal
Hailing from Stirling, Brogeal fuse folk-punk energy with Celtic instrumentation in a way that feels both deeply traditional and fiercely modern. Expect banjos, fiddles, bagpipes, and a full-pelt rock rhythm section, this is music made for bouncing crowds and muddy fields.
Their songs aren’t just party anthems, though. Beneath the revelry lies powerful social commentary and emotional resonance. Brogeal are just as comfortable tackling themes of grief and resilience as they are whipping up a ceilidh-style frenzy. Scottish through and through, they’re a cultural force with the potential to cross over in a big way.
FFO: The Rumjacks, The View, Ferocious Dog
Track to Start With: “Friday on my Mind”
5. Brooke Law
Brooke Law is a London-based singer-songwriter blending pop-rock power with soul and substance. Her voice, husky, emotive, and commanding, recalls the best of Alanis and Amy, but her lyrical compass is entirely her own. Brooke’s music speaks to strength, vulnerability, and identity with unflinching honesty.
Her live presence is magnetic and her songwriting packs emotional punches without veering into cliché. Each release offers a new layer to her artistry, showing versatility without losing authenticity. In a pop world often defined by polish, Brooke Law brings grit, soul, and urgency.
FFO: Alanis Morissette, KT Tunstall, Amy Macdonald
Track to Start With: “Villain”
6. The Bracknall
The Bracknall offer up brooding indie rock painted in moody hues, perfect for lovers of late-night driving soundtracks and emotionally charged lyricism. With a blend of atmospheric guitars, hazy synths, and understated vocals, they specialise in songs that are reflective without being navel-gazing.
There’s a storytelling core to their work that’s reminiscent of early Arctic Monkeys, but their sonic palette leans more toward the ambient end of indie. A band that rewards patience, The Bracknall don’t rush the moment, they build it slowly, let it settle, then break your heart gently.
FFO: The 1975, Palace, Arctic Monkeys
Track to Start With: “I Don’t Understand It”
7. Big Wheels
Big Wheels are a genre-defying Australian outfit creating sun-drenched indie rock steeped in West Coast nostalgia and laid-back country soul. With roots in the Australian surf and folk scenes, they weave warm harmonies and vintage textures into music that feels tailor-made for road trips and daydreams.
Their sound walks a fine line between retro and contemporary, equal parts Laurel Canyon and Triple J. There’s a gentleness to their delivery that contrasts beautifully with their lyrical depth, and a sense of timelessness that gives each track lasting power. Unhurried and hypnotic.
FFO: HAIM, Fleetwood Mac, First Aid Kit
Track to Start With: “What Are You Waiting For”
8. By The Waves
By The Waves are a cinematic indie rock band from the south coast of England, blending anthemic soundscapes with emotionally rich lyrics and soaring melodies. Their music feels vast and intimate all at once, like a widescreen drama with a beating heart.
Drawing influence from post-Britpop melancholy and modern indie grandeur, they’ve created a sound that’s both familiar and strikingly fresh. With songs built for big moments and quiet reflections alike, By The Waves are the kind of band that finds their way into your life story.
FFO: Amber Run, Snow Patrol, White Lies
Track to Start With: “For The Lovers”
9. Bronnie
Bronnie is a country-pop artist from the Wirral who cut her teeth in the pop-punk scene and now delivers hook-heavy, heartfelt tracks with massive crossover appeal. Blending big guitars with Nashville polish, her music straddles multiple worlds without losing its personality.
Fiercely independent and powered by a passionate fanbase, Bronnie has built her career from the ground up, touring relentlessly and engaging fans through unfiltered honesty. Whether she’s belting out breakup anthems or vulnerable ballads, there’s always humour, heart, and homegrown grit.
FFO: Avril Lavigne, Kelsea Ballerini, Cassadee Pope
Track to Start With: “Scream”
10. Blank Atlas
Blank Atlas are a Bristol-based trio delivering high-octane alt-rock that blends tight harmonies, complex rhythms, and emotional punch. Their sound pulls from pop-punk and post-hardcore but adds a technicality that elevates it beyond standard genre fare.
Known for their ferocious live sets and precision musicianship, the band strike a balance between catharsis and control. Their songwriting explores mental health, loss, and resilience with clarity and empathy, proving that heavy music can also be deeply human.
FFO: Don Broco, Lower Than Atlantis, Arcane Roots
Track to Start With: “Better Off Dead”
Next up: The Letter C. Ten more acts. Ten more future stars. You’re gonna want to keep up.
THE FRONT ROW 
Leave a comment