This morning, the December installment of the popular Hidden Herd Presents new music discovery night has been announced! This will feature GIRLBAND!, Currls, tall child and Kanukai and will be happening at The Hope & Ruin on Queens Road in Brighton on Wednesday 16th December.
These popular monthly new music events always spotlight the most exciting emerging artists, ones-to-watch and hidden gems on the music scene right now, and this new announcement is no different.
Let’s meet the acts…….
GIRLBAND! are a dynamic alt-rock trio from Nottingham, blending the spirit of punk, rock and indie with a sharp pop sensibility. Drawing on influences from the 50s through to the 90s, their sound is shaped by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana and The Police, alongside iconic female-led bands including The Breeders, The Cranberries and Pretenders.
GIRLBAND!’s music has already amassed over one million Spotify streams, spearheaded by top-played single ‘Not Like The Rest’, which was accompanied by a video that stars Game of Thrones and The Last of Us actor Bella Ramsey.
The band have also been championed by NME, Rolling Stone, Clash Magazine and Dork, as well as Radio 1 and BBC Radio 6 Music. Live, GIRLBAND! turn up the energy and create a joyous, all-inclusive space built on empowerment and connection. They’ve played festivals such as Glastonbury, SXSW London, The Great Escape, Isle of Wight and Y Not, as well as played support shows with huge names such as Sex Pistols, James, Feeder, Jake Bugg and Taking Back Sunday. Most recently, the band took their anthemic sound across Europe on tour with Sting, further cementing their reputation as one of the UK’s breakout bands.
Since forming in Brighton in 2017, DIY garage-rock trio Currls have carved out a sonic space where raw energy, searing punk and sludgy pop collide. Their relentless sound is both cathartic and electrifying, designed to shake listeners to their core and make them feel invincible.
Over the years, Currls have become a formidable force in the underground scene, earning support from BBC Radio 6 Music’s Amy Lamé, Marc Riley, Steve Lamacq and Craig Charles, alongside Huw Stephens and Alyx Holcombe on Radio 1, and Melita Dennett on BBC Music Introducing. Currls were featured on Glastonbury Festival’s Emerging Talent Competition longlist in both 2022 and 2025, and have shared stages with PINS, Dream Nails, ĠENN and Holiday Ghosts.
Notably, Currls also won Record Store Day’s ‘Unsigned 2023’ competition, further cementing their place as one of the UK’s most exciting rising acts. As Lauren Down described them for The Line of Best Fit: “CURRLS are a rallying cry. Scuzzy riot grrrl inspired pop-punk made for the main stage. Authentic, snarling and converting you to the band’s cause as she goes.”
Winners of Green Man Rising, Green Man Festival’s emerging band competition for the chance to open the festival’s main stage, tall child are one of South East London’s freshest and most compelling new acts.
Formed of five queer friends with long-established roots in the UK indie scene, tall child is a project led by London-based Nigerian-Indian songwriter Zha Gandhi. Melding intense, stormy emotion and grungy riffs with sweet melodies and happy-go-lucky indie jangle, tall child create a sound that’s both instantly captivating and unmistakably their own.
Drawing inspiration from the likes of Mitski, Radiohead, Rachel Chinouriri and Arlo Parks, they’ve released a string of beautiful soundscapes so far, including the EP ‘Somehow You Grow’ and latest single ‘Money’. Both showcase the rawness and vulnerability at the heart of their songwriting, and have been championed by BBC Music Introducing and more. Live, tall child have played extensively across the capital and beyond, sharing stages with the likes of Lava La Rue, Girl Ray and Blood Wizard, as well as emerging favourites The Slow Country.
Backed by Melita Dennett on BBC Music Introducing, Kanukai’s grunge-influenced psychedelic soul is making waves across the south coast. Recently featured in The Sunday Times Culture Magazine, covering his journey from a council estate to sold-out shows on the grassroots music scene, Kanukai is quickly establishing himself as one of the UK’s most compelling emerging artists.
With recent and upcoming support slots alongside UNIVERSITY, Sterling Press, Twenty One Children and The Love Buzz, as well as a recent festival debut at Good Vibrations Society alongside Orbital, Ms. Dynamite, Hollie Cook and more, Kanukai is proving himself a relentless force on the live circuit and an artist firmly on the rise.
Advance tickets for this night are £11 and are on sale now from HERE.
You can also discover exciting emerging artists on the Hidden Herd New Music Spotlight playlist. Like and listen on Spotify HERE.
