Manchester's LAB Records latest signing, The Rolling People released ‘I’ll Be There’ in early February. At just 18 years old, Stockport-based ‘TRP’ have taken the indie music scene in their stride, and this track keeps their assault on the top of the scene in good pace, although with small aspects left to polish.
With a mod-like haircut sported by lead singer Charlie McNichol, it seems that these teens are looking to re-educate any stragglers within their generation of the greats of before, and that's noticeable in the sound. The band have gained a reputation for energised performances, and feral crowds to match, and this anthemic number is perfect for their frenetic outings.
My first thought, was Amazons, and this familiarity set me in good stead to welcome the lead vocal's character and assertive strength. This song from ‘Manchester’s next greatest success’ (Northern Exposure Magazine) possesses qualities that scratch the indie itch. There's this passion and presence with the 'yoof' - now mobilised by the indie sounds of yesteryear. The pulsating brilliance of the drums. The solo too... is something I'm a big fan of.
However, that said - the track could be a little more varied. While I was admiring the main selling point of being 18, I was also thinking how alien it felt to fly two-footed straight into an overly repetitive chorus. For me, while I'm behind any gifted newcomers, devices such as these perhaps play into the live aspect of performing to cavernous pockets of Nottingham and Manchester venues, and not really extending any further.
“'I’ll Be There' is a song that we wrote out of a desire for a modern rock anthem in a time where there are none in sight. We wanted to harness the punk rock feel but with a more light-hearted lyric that is reminiscent of a love song. Most of the tune revolves around the feeling of having someone’s back in all circumstances whether that be a friend or a lover, but also the anger and entrapment of selling out to live a life you truly don’t want to live.”
- Charlie McNichol (Frontman)
Everything about the band seems easily sellable and in fairness, the fans have voted with their feet - as their entire debut headline tour of the UK sold out in 2023. Now set to release their long-awaited debut EP, it is clear that the emphatic rise of The Rolling People is only set to continue, and hopefully as their marketability increases - hopefully the music doesn't get left in its wake. Alternatively, the band's raw and rhythmic power, akin to the very genre they join - could be what listeners need. A reminder of what they love about indie-rock and how it fits into the mid-2020s. With that debut on the horizon, it's nice to hear that the band will attempt to not get lost in the sonic swirl.
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