CloseUp // Track of the Month #16 - The Family Rain - ‘It Aint Easy Being Mean’

We’ve been at festivals aplenty, catching the best new bands & curating CloseUp stages across the UK this Summer. We’ve seen plenty of acts, but few blew us away quite as much as Bath indie-rock trio (and brothers!) The Family Rain this festival season.
Their latest cut, ‘It Ain't Easy Being Mean’ features the high flying Dylan Cartridge, and demonstrates their knack for a punchy, booming indie anthem. With a sense of swagger now synonymous with the outfit, it’s yet another single you can imagine slotting into their rambunctious live reputation with ease.
Speaking on the track, The Family Rain say “We were all thinking that with the next thing we’d do we would venture out a bit so we’ve pushed ourselves to just go and explore because we know we are at our best when we are breaking new ground. The thing that keeps us working together, is that our shared attitude has always been seeking rather than repeating.”
The Family Rain hit numerous shows in the final quarter of 2023, including our own ‘Heartbroken Festival’ at Southampton’s Heartbreakers, this September. (30/9)
Find your fave new band now, and see you next month! CloseUp HQ x
One of rock’s great songwriters, Paul Weller is rightly celebrated for his punchy, poetic brand of punk. Yet look closer at his work with The Jam, venture beyond to his time with The Style Council, and dive into his decades-long solo career, and you’ll find another genre which has influenced practically everything he’s ever made: soul music.
“London, come on ta fuck, let’s fucking go” the magic words from Gurriers frontman, Dan Hoff, to kick off the chaos at the band’s largest headline show to date, a sold-out Scala, on Thursday night.
“These are the joys of getting old, you go deaf. I’ve also got the joy of going blind. Fortunately I’ve still got my voice - cause if I lose that, I’ve got the full Tommy”, wisecracked Roger Daltrey during the first of two shows The Who were headlining at The Royal Albert Hall.
Tom Walker- A Sheer Delight by Candlelight at Hackney Church.
Shoegaze band HONEY I’M HOME invite listeners into their dreamy, introspective world with new single, Wishful Thinking.
‘Forever Is A Feeling’: love in its most enduring form.
Following on from the cerebral and swirling ‘Call It A Draw’, Uwade’s latest teaser from her upcoming record comes in the neatly wrapped soulful intonations of ‘Harmattan’.
Self Esteem, the acclaimed project of Rebecca Lucy Taylor, has unveiled her powerful new single, ‘If Not Now, It’s Soon’. The third track to be released from her highly anticipated third album, A Complicated Woman, its announcement comes alongside details of her biggest tour to date.
More, showcases Wallows’ ever-evolving sound, blending indie rock, pop, and existential reflections into a captivating collection that further solidifies their place in the alternative music scene.
Acclaimed singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist AK Patterson has just released her new EP 'Jailbird'.
Let us introduce you to Liverpool newcomers DBA! - who have just announced their debut EP ' skip! worried', which is due out on the 26th April.
Somebody’s Child embarks on a bold new chapter with their sophomore album, When Youth Fades Away, a deeply introspective and sonically adventurous exploration of the inevitable passage of time and the shifting perspectives that come with it.