South Walk: New Scene, Who Dis? - Exploring Grassroots Music

Growing up in a ‘sad lonely town,’ I found myself frequenting Stoke-on-Trent’s beloved grassroots music venue, The Underground. And believe me when I tell you, this venue had its quirks. It was the most picture perfect, grotty (in the best way) basement that a girl could wish for — you just had to be there. Experiencing my first pit, and being surprised that I didn’t stick to the floor, this was the place where me and my friends, well… we danced to South Walk. 

The self described “throw away project,” South Walk began during lockdown, 2020. Initially formed to “just to pass the time,” they quickly began to generate traction from the West Midlands emo scene. Known for their authenticity, angst and overall excellent songwriting — it was hard not to love them. Due to growing apart and leading different lives, front-man Jack Pitchford describes himself as being “done with the project" and they played their final gig at Exchange, Bristol in 2022. And believe me when I say that I was personally gutted. The crowd was electric, and each member of it was hot, sweaty and singing every single lyric at the top of their lungs.

Fuck it. South Walk will do. It sounds cool — South Walk

After “a chaotic” turn of events in Jack’s life, the trajectory of South Walk had completely changed. Jack recounts that “[he] went through a really rough patch, after being robbed at knife point” and at this time of his life he craved to make music. After spending some time with drummer Peter Holland, it was evident that something needed to happen. One rehearsal with Pete and guitarist Jalen Doughty proved that sparks were flying! Following this they turned to former bassist, Owen Price, as the last addition to the band. And due to the nature of their new sound, they felt as though a new name might fit better. However (in typical South Walk fashion) the guys said “Fuck it. South Walk will do. It sounds cool.”

During the making of this piece, South Walk shared some of their new demos with me so that I could get an insight into their new sound. Dark, grungey and gazey, the tone of their new songs definitely struck a chord with me. The track ‘Mirrored Mind’ was a stand out and was reminiscent of hardcore shoegaze bands such as Deftones, whilst sticking to the genre’s roots with inspiration from My Bloody Valentine. Not only fresh but somehow familiar, the track feels like it captures the essence of chaos — it’s honest, and raw, sticking to the classic nature of South Walk. Near the end of 2023, Jalen and Pete discovered Knocknarea by Marujua. Jalen exclaims, “It broke our heads for a while. We kept bringing up the idea of doing a project inspired by their sound, wanting to make abstract, ambient jungle that’s played by a live band. I think that has crept into our sound for sure.” In my opinion, their sound has matured beautifully, following the trialing times of the band's life. It’s evident that all of this emotion and power has been carefully crafted into something really special. 

When asked how it had been adapting to their new scene, Jack emphasised that the band had an overall great response from their new audience. “Our first gig back at Centrala, Birmingham was so dope. We played with So Far So Good and we weren't too sure on what the response would be, but everyone seemed to really fuck with us. And then every other gig has been so cool.” South Walk carry a particularly good ethos towards supporting their fellow musicians and community, which is something that should not be taken for granted. Aligning with the band’s beliefs, it is evident that they’re “open to play with everyone and anyone,” therefore it hasn't been particularly hard for them to ground themselves in their new scene. Jack goes on to tell me that they “have already supported a wide range of bands from different genres: So Far So Good, Kenya, Sativa and next Christian Music and Mercury which [they] are all buzzing for.” 

“I find it so cool that people go from throwing down...in front of 15 people to standing still and listening to us.”

So what’s next for South Walk, I hear you ask? Well, in Jack’s words “[he] can't really go too much into [their] vision as it will ruin the story.” He goes on to say “We have a pretty crazy idea. We just want to make sure that we execute it properly. But from what I can say is that the book 'House of Leaves' has been a big inspiration.” And personally I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Many thanks to the members of South Walk, who have been friends of mine since college. Their music has followed me for years since, and I encourage you to check it out and stay up to date with them @southwalk_

Want to be featured in a gig review? Let us know by completing our sign up form!