Are unpeople the next generation of Alternative headliners?

Unpeople formed back in 2023 and quickly gained traction after their live debut at 2000 Trees festival that same year. The following two years carried such fierce momentum. In April 2024 the band released their debut self-titled EP; following this they got to open for Metallica alongside dominating festival stages all over the UK. The year closed for them on the high of their sold-out headline show in London; this was only the beginning for them.

2025 came out swinging with the opportunity to support YUKOVI on their UK/EU tour at the beginning of the year. Their festival circuit expanded massively and they had a long summer of playing more festivals across the UK as well as making their mark in mainland Europe with their Rock am Ring debut which brings us to now– Autumn 2026.

This year has been absolutely non-stop for these guys and they have certainly left a huge impression on the scene and industry. Early on in the year unpeople won ‘Best Breakthrough Live Artist’ at the Heavy Music Awards before diving back into festival season again. The band took over familiar festival stages in the UK and expanded further into mainland Europe playing festivals like ‘Copenhell’ in Denmark and ‘Rock for People’ in the Czech Republic.

Their current schedule is absolutely packed as they are currently opening for Don Broco on their ‘Nightmare Tripping’ tour, only to follow that by opening for Royal Blood in November. They also have a headline tour coming up in January with the release of ‘we are unpeople’; their debut full-length album.

This album has been on repeat for me and contains banger after banger, it contains songs from their self titled EP along with some new material. After seeing Don Broco at Outernet Live on October 12th, I got to finally see this amazing band in action and they did not disappoint in the slightest.

I was blown away the second they took to the stage, they dove straight into ‘waste’ with such intense energy and I knew that this would be a band that I would be seeing again and again in the future. They were so fun to watch and I was just captivated the entire time, singing along to every lyric and jumping around. My favourite part of the set was definitely when Jake, guitar and vocals, jumped into the crowd towards the end of ‘the garden’ and played whilst being elevated amongst the chaos of a circle pit. It was truly incredible to watch and was a great warm up for the crowd.

The setlist was crafted very well, showcasing a lot of songs from their EP, singles from their new album alongside their song ‘bottle it’ which was unreleased at the time the tour started. This really gave insight to what the band is about and showcased some of their best work. Even though I had already listened to the album before attending the show, this was a great opportunity to rake in more fans and after these upcoming tours it wouldn’t surprise me if unpeople would be headlining venues of this caliber very soon.

The energy seen on stage is just as ferocious as through a pair of headphones, their new album carries that raw edge to it, with unforgettable riffs and lyrics that are as fun to scream from within the four walls of your home as they are in a crowd full of people.

The first two tracks ‘clouds’ and ‘friends’ are so incredibly addictive and will be two of my most listened to tracks this month. The intro to ‘clouds’ is direct lyrically and stripped back before bursting with the heaviness that carries throughout the song. The lyrics are fun and melodically upbeat whilst channelling an assertive, dominant tone– truly embodying a feeling of empowerment and a great way to redirect some internal anger.

‘Friends’ contrasts ‘clouds’ to a degree, diving straight into that heaviness with no build up; it’s raw and gritty with that same pointed tone. The instrumentals in the intro really scratch my brain and compliment the raw vocals within the verses incredibly well. Similarly to ‘clouds’ the tone remains strong, direct and commanding whilst also remaining empowering. The breakdown in this song is also brutal in the best way and really demonstrates how versatile this band is with breaching into those more hardcore elements.

Alongside a couple others, ‘the garden’ from unpeople’s debut EP features on this album and it was a great move. It is by far the band’s most popular song and for good reason too. The bass riff is one that is so incredibly cutting and the repetitive nature deeply engrains itself in your head and it’s impossible to shake. This was the song that got me into this band and I was hooked from the start, it’s such a good place to begin with their discography and sets a tone what to expect.

Overall this band offers something a bit different and they are doing it right; their achievements showcasing that very much. They have such a powerful discography with songs that get stuck in your head and give you whiplash no matter where you listen. Raw and powerful vocals complimented by melodic four-part harmonies, filthy basslines, and electric riffs make this band who they are. They are consistent with their style and their music holds up to that standard live. After these upcoming tours, including a headliner, it wouldn’t surprise me to see them playing much bigger venues in the next few years. With their raw energy and experience dominating festival stages around the UK and mainland Europe I can see them taking those headline spots and commanding massive crowds in the future too.