Durham’s Callum O’Neil is a young man with something to say, and the means to say it, as evinced by his corking debut single, which is out on 27 March.

And that corking debut single is ‘Useless Time’, a chunky slice of indie-pop that zips along on bags of chutzpah and lyrics that tackle “the awkward age” that we all experience sometime in our teens. O’Neil: “It’s a reflection on being seventeen. At that age you’re stuck between not being an adult yet, but not being a kid anymore – and it’s a really confusing time.” So, yes, lyrically it’s an introspective track, but ‘Useless Time’ has a real drive about it that had me bopping around my kitchen like a whirling dervish. It’s also a tune absolutely brimming with hooks (and O’Neil’s soaring vocal), and the kind of catchy riffs that you can take to the bank. A word too for Tony Brown’s outstanding production which adds another layer of “Well that’s just fabulous!” to the whole three and a half minutes. DP

Seek: youtube.com/@callumoneilofficial