Emerging as the most exciting homegrown act to come out of the midlands in over a decade, overpass unite singer and guitarist Max Newbold, bassist Indie Armstrong, guitarist Elliot Rawlings, and drummer Jake Bishop. The band formed through a series of serendipitous connections and a shared appreciation of arena-sized indie rock, leading them to sell out a string of ever increasing capacity shows in the UK’s second city.
With a growing fanbase despite little music out, overpass continued to make waves in the Birmingham music scene, bolstering word of mouth support. 2021 saw a trio of singles featuring high-octane performances and emotionally relatable, down to earth lyrics, helping turn their initial following into a bona fide fanbase. “We didn’t expect to sell out shows so quickly” says Elliot of early gigs at Dead Wax followed by two nights at the Sunflower Lounge in January 2022, “but Birmingham’s been amazing to us. The support from the local scene and our fans here’s just incredible. It’s a place that really nurtures creativity.”
Already selling more tickets than a lot of their major label contemporaries, overpass’ dedicated following feels like a refreshing counterpoint to culture’s current obsession with online metrics. “We have big dreams and goals,” Max promises. “It’s great to have loads of views on a video or something. But, like, what does it actually mean? When you see loads of people in front of you singing your songs back – that’s real. It’s tangible. It’s authentic. And that’s what overpass is all about.”
