Sophie K on the bands to watch in 2022

Happy New Year, friends! 2022 is such a confusing time for anyone who lived through the millennium because I hear people saying 2002 was 20 years ago, but in my brain, so was the '80s...

This week, it's all about the hot ones to watch in 2022. It was a hard question to answer because there are so many bands achieving new things. Nova Twins are set to take over, Lorna Shore are hitting new highs, and WILLOW is the most exciting new kid on the scene. Hard, but I was left with overwhelming positivity because 2022 is going to be a great year for music!

All the way from Leeds comes a band who have managed to achieve unbelievable success in a relatively short time. Recent K! cover stars Static Dress have created a buzz that isn’t always possible without the backing of a heavyweight label. I can only imagine what it must be like trying to build a career amid a global lockdown, but they've made a name for themselves and continued to grow. They then cemented themselves as a live favourite when they delivered one of the most-talked about sets at the Download Pilot. Normally at British festivals, new artists must rely on their amassed audience and buzz as they compete against the latest breakthrough American bands, but this time there were no American bands and all eyes were on you with the reduced performances. As thousands of metal fans watched, this post-hardcore band rode the wave and gained a field of new followers. They are one to watch because I don’t think they have even begun to show us exactly what they have on offer.

Wargasm really came into their own in 2021. They've been everywhere, played some of the hottest festivals and tours, and they've caused great excitement. Sadly for these guys, a load of their tour dates have been cancelled for 2022, but I don’t think it will hold them back as this is not a band who are still learning how to deliver a live show. The individual members have crafted their own experience of what their show can be, which comes together in this invasion of confidence and stage presence. If you haven’t caught them live yet, check out the K! Pit they did back in August. I chose this band that some may argue would have been in last year's ones to watch, but I think they have global domination in their sights.

I love TikTok because I see the same thing happening that happened with MySpace. Labels invest hundreds of thousands of pounds in marketing campaigns to promote their new stars. However, TikTokkers said ‘nah’ and made a Celine Dion song the hottest trend right now. Tell me that’s not punk AF.

They reminded labels that actually we are gonna like what we like, and that is what I feel has happened with Magnolia Park. This is a band that I have written about before because they write stone-cold bangers! They are likeable, stylish and talented, but to be honest none of that matters. What really matters is that here comes a band with old-school principals, a band who have grafted and amassed an audience of dedicated followers. They have nearly 250k followers on TikTok and have had nearly two million likes on their videos. They were signed to Epitaph Records in September last year and have done tracks with Kellin Quinn from Sleeping With Sirens and Lil Lotus. Things haven't even properly started with this lot yet, but the fans are there, and are ready to blow this band up.

Hear Sophie K host The Breakfast Show on Kerrang! Radio, weekdays from 7am.

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