THE FRONT ROW

Here at The Front Row, we’re buzzing to bring you the exclusive first look of The Rhythm and the Record Hum – the brand-new single from Leeds’ rising alt-indie outfit Astoria, dropping Friday 13th June. This one hasn’t landed anywhere else yet – and trust us, it’s going to blow a few minds when it does.

If you’ve followed Astoria through their gritty, guitar-driven roots, brace yourself. This is something else entirely. The Rhythm and the Record Hum is a bold reinvention – a widescreen anthem born in the middle of the North Yorkshire/Lancashire moors, built for festival stages, and executed with precision. It’s confident, cinematic and completely absorbing.

Gone is the straight-up indie clatter of early singles. In its place? Huge, soaring guitars. Expansive atmospheres. A vocal performance that reaches right into your chest. It’s not just a progression – it’s a statement. And it rips.

Recorded in the remote and dramatic setting of the North Yorkshire/Lancashire moors, this new single isn’t just a nod to their surroundings, it feels like it was carved out of open space. Guitars echo into the distance, vocals rise like mist on the hills, and the production carries the polish and depth of a band who’ve outgrown the four walls of the indie basement.

From the first few bars, you’re pulled into a track that feels both nostalgic and right on time. The chord progressions are rich, the chorus is explosive, and the dynamic layering shows a band now totally in control of their sound. It’s the kind of track that feels like a turning point. The kind that marks the start of their next era.

What’s most striking is how bold and clean the sound is. You can still hear the bones of their earlier material, the choppy rhythms, the northern indie pulse, but now it’s wrapped in a richer, more refined palette. It’s a move that brings to mind bands like Angels & Airwaves and early 2010s alt-rock revivalists, who mastered that fusion of emotional release and festival-ready scale. Astoria have nailed the balance here: big, spacious arrangements with a strong emotional undercurrent and killer choruses to back it up.

And that chorus, it’s one for the books. Built on strong chord progressions and lifted by soaring vocals, it crashes in with full conviction, without ever tipping into melodrama. There are hints of The K’s swagger here, flashes of My Chemical Romance’s intensity, and even the atmospheric depth of bands like Blink-182’s more ambitious offshoots. But while the influences are recognisable, Astoria’s delivery feels totally their own. This is a band stepping into a sound they’ve clearly grown into, and they wear it with confidence.

Lyrically, there’s an honesty and passion in the vocal delivery that roots the song emotionally. It’s not overwrought, but it carries weight. You get the sense that The Rhythm and the Record Hum is more than just a title, it’s a snapshot of what the band lives and breathes, a metaphor for the process, the grind, and the energy behind every show.

And let’s not overlook this: The Rhythm and the Record Hum captures the live Astoria experience better than anything they’ve released before. It feels like standing in the middle of the crowd, shoulder to shoulder, arms in the air as the chorus kicks in. No coincidence, then, that it’ll get its live debut on the hallowed turf of Isle of Wight Festival 2025 – the perfect stage for a track that deserves to hit hard and travel fast.

Astoria have levelled up in every sense, bigger ideas, sharper production, a more distinctive voice. The Rhythm and the Record Hum marks the beginning of something new and exciting. For fans who’ve followed them from the beginning, this will feel like a natural evolution. For newcomers, it’s the perfect entry point.

There’s no doubt about it – this is Astoria’s best work to date. A refined, powerful leap forward from a band who know exactly where they’re heading. And we’re absolutely here for it.

FFO: Angels & Airwaves, The K’s, My Chemical Romance
Recommended: Add it to your “modern anthems” playlist and keep an eye on that Isle of Wight set.