One of the region’s finest music festivals – The Gathering Sounds – is returning to Stockton once again this September and they’ve got a line-up toting thrills wherever you look.

When us live music lovers hear the call – the call that speaks of up and coming bands and artists ready to hit us up with music that arrows straight to our hearts, minds and souls (and occasionally groins) – we answer that call. And this September that call leads us to Stockton where one of the region’s very best music festivals is taking place. The Gathering Sounds is one of the most glorious events of its kind, not just here in the north-east, but throughout the UK. And this year they have seven different stages for our delectation that includes ARC, The Georgian Theatre, KU, ARC 2, The Social Room, The Link, and The Green Room. Of course, every festival lives or dies on the quality of their line up, but the organisers of The Gathering Sounds this year have really come up trumps. There are 50 or so acts due to play, but after thumbing carefully through the programme, I’ve made a list of bands and artists that I’m filing under ‘Absolutely Essential’. Somebody’s Child is the musical project of Dublin-based Cian Godfrey, one of the real rising stars on the indie scene. I say indie, but the band incorporate plenty of electronic textures in their sound. And that’s very evident on the corking ‘When Youth Fades Away’ album, which came our earlier this year. Produced by Peter Katis (who has previously done the biz for the likes of The National and Interpol) it’s a release that embraces a starry-eyed propulsive drive, while still tackling reflective elements, exploring themes of nostalgia and the inevitability of ageing. Dirty Blonde (pictured) is a very exciting alt-rock duo hailing from Manchester comprising of Allis Mackay and Hayley Tait. They have a real scuzzy sound, featuring plenty of punchy guitars, and they marry that rumbling vibe to huge and anthemic melodies in a way that feels very Oasis-meets-grunge. They also have something of early Wolf Alice about them – with bits of Veruca Salt, Pixies and 90s Garbage chucked in for good measure – and with their raw and honest lyrics they’re very much the whole package. Another Manchester act heading our way is the four-piece indie outfit The Covasettes. This band has been likened to everyone from Arctic Monkeys to Two Door Cinema Club, but they also have a very Coldplay-like way an infectious melody (FYI: this is a very good thing). They’ve already racked up millions of streams on Spotify from fans who can’t get enough of their sumptuous riffs and rather groovy way with a tune. One of my favourite EPs of 2025 is the six-tracker from Grandmas House ‘Anything For You’. It’s a perfect showcase for what the band is all about and it’s fizzing with emotional depth and punky/alt-rocking sonics. They’ve already been bigged up by Steve Lamacq on BBC 6Music and BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders (who called them “one of the most exciting bands coming out of Bristol”) and the depth of their sound has seen them compared to everyone from Courtney Barnett to Motörhead. If you’re looking for a new alt-pop via indie-pop hero then I’d advise you to get on board with Better Joy, pronto. The musical project of Bria Keely (another Manc based lass) she blends jangly and crunchy guitars with upbeat melodies and the kind of swoony vocals that’ll capture your heart on first listen. Her debut EP came out in March and it’s resplendent with the kind of vivid tunes that’ll have you baying for more. There are plenty of local acts playing the festival not least Cortney Dixon, a South Shields lass who we’ve previously sung the praises of within these very pages. She knocks out indie-rock-pop bangers that are built from the kind of riffs that sweep all before them. She draws her influences from a who’s who of everything that is good about music including PJ Harvey, HAIM, Blondie, Bowie, Kate Bush and Stevie Nicks, and she’s already played festivals such as The Great Escape and Glastonbury. Another local act we’ve flagged up in The Crack is Swindled. One of the finest bands to come out of Sunderland in a while, they first burst on the scene with their excellent ‘Counting Sheep’ EP in 2023. They’ve followed that up with a clutch of increasingly brilliant singles, their undoubted song-writing nous very much to the fore. Take my word for it: if you need indie-pop in your life then this bunch should be at the front of the queue. Leeds’ L'objectif are another band currently making waves with a sound that skitters across all manner of genres including post-punk, punk and alt-rock, and they’ve already supported bands such as Everything Everything. Back to Manchester – again – for indie-rockers The Guest List whose melodic riffs and youthful energy is utterly infectious. And on their recent singles ‘Mary’ and ‘Plasticine Heart’ they’ve also introduced dreamier, more vulnerable textures, that suit them to a tee. Grab the full Gathering Sounds line-up from the website, below. DP

The Gathering Sounds, Saturday 27 September, seven venues in Stockton. thegatheringsounds.co.uk