With 2024 at an end, it marked a year of already established names making a leap towards stardom. Fontaines D.C’s fourth record ‘Romance’ shot them further away from Ireland and onto the world stage, meanwhile Charli XCX’s album ‘Brat’ was a significant culture moment and The Last Dinner Party’s debut effort has propelled them to future festival headliners. But amongst the noise being made at the top of the table were also bands slowly starting to make waves in their own circles. American’s Been Stellar started the year relatively unknown but ended 2024 with a successful UK tour after supporting The 1975 and the previously mentioned Fontaines D.C, meanwhile, shoegazers NewDad released their debut album and it wasn’t long until they were on every major festival stage. To start 2025, The Rock Revival have picked five bands who could be the next act to make the leap towards being an established force.
Witch Post
Named after the 17th century carvings intended to warn off witches, Witch Post are a duo from either side of the Atlantic. Hailing from both Montana and Scotland, the band blend elements of ruggedness that helps create a DIY feel, passing the microphone between each other on their tracks for an intimate experience. Despite having only two singles released so far, it’s clear to see why they’re quickly gathering fans in the thousands. Both ‘Rust’ and ‘Chill Out’ have elements of mature songwriting and angst, with the latter in particular seeming to pay homage to Pixies’ in their own unique way. As they’re only getting started, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine Witch Post becoming something special in the new year with plenty of more releases to come.
Esmeralda Road
‘Indie-fusion’ band Esmeralda Road picked up the 2024 BBC’s ATL Artist of the Year award, and for good reason; the talent they have on display is brimming through each individual band member. Despite only having five songs to their name thus far, the Belfast band has a mature sound that stretches beyond their years. Recently released ‘Esmeralda’ has luscious guitar leads that bleed through the mix, meanwhile fan favourite ‘I Think’ has enough passion and angst to win over any alternative music lover. With a debut EP expected to arrive in 2025, Esmeralda Road could be a band on the cards to quickly take off.
Keo
London born alternative rockers Keo are different from the rest of the bands on the list in that they are yet to release a song onto the main streaming platforms. Delaying doing so and relying on Soundcloud and word of mouth to spread their talent, they’ve quickly built up a fervent online buzz, amassing thousands of followers. Sneak peaks of ‘I Lied, Amber’ and ‘Thorn’ both show a potential new driving force in the contemporary guitar scene, similar to the likes of Fontaines D.C and Wunderhorse. Fans can most likely expect their music to hit their desired streaming platforms in the new year, and with it sold-out gigs across the UK.
Hotgirl
The least-known band on the list doesn’t mean their talent isn’t up to match. Dublin born Hotgirl have spent the last year or so honing their craft, and while doing so have garnered praise from established artists such as cult heroes The Libertines and fellow Dubliners Sprints. Their uniqueness comes in their wide-ranging sound, from the dreamy ‘Teenage Dreams (And Creams)’ to their recently released ‘In Your Head’, containing guitar leads that fizz around your ears alongside an emphatic performance from vocalist Ashley Abbedeen.
Cardinals
To brush Cardinals off as just another emerging guitar band from Ireland would be a serious mistake. By now, the expectation of that sound is something that is brooding and serious. If their early releases are anything to go by, the six-piece band will go further than what’s expected of them, with each concurrent release seeming to stretch further away from the post-punk genre tagged along to them early in their career. ‘Twist and Turn’ is a gentle rhythm that’s reminiscent of The Velvet Underground, while ‘Unreal’ matches its groove with an infectious vulnerability. After releasing their debut EP in 2024 to thousands of attentive ears, followed by their first headline New York show in December, 2025 is shaping up to be a promising twelve months for the Cork natives.
Words by Niall McGreevy