Ceiling Beams as Mic Stands? Hoo is the Band: TENT

Here is everything you need to know about TENT, the freshest face in Newcastle, who will soon make the city their own with their debut single, Spoonbender.

Newly emerging onto the Newcastle music scene is TENT: a four piece band made up of local talent, who deliver an entire new genre to the Toon with their first single, Spoonbender.

The band consists of frontman and lead guitarist Brandon Gee, rhythm guitarist Mark Watson, bassist Owen Wright, and drummer Alex Bannister.

TENT kindly let me intrude on one of their rehearsal sessions to get an inside look at the band, their influences, and their hopes for the future. I even received a personal performance of Spoonbender, though due to a lack of mic stands, the band had to improvise and hang the microphone from a ceiling beam instead. Professionalism at its finest.

TENT defy categorisation and combine the energy of alternative rock, psychedelic rock and indie music, helping them to quickly make waves in the Newcastle scene. Their debut single, Spoonbender, has caught a lot of attention for its innovative sound, which few bands are able to achieve in this current era of music.

TENT released the demo version of Spoonbender, on September 27th, 2024, and have since taken the Newcastle music scene by storm. Despite Spoonbender being the band’s first release, the single racked up over 1,000 streams within its first week. Now, two months since its release, the single has surpassed over 12,000 streams and its seemingly not stopping there.

“We all have different bands we pull different things from… there’s no one real influence,” Owen explains.

Spoonbender perfectly encapsulates the unique colour that TENT introduce to Newcastle and the North East. The track combines sleazy, raw instrumentals reminiscent of alternative rock icons such as Beck. However, there’s also a blend of gritty, late 90’s britpop within the instrumental; a great comparison is Love is the Law by The Seahorses, especially within both songs’ guitar solos.

The mixing of the instruments on Spoonbender reminds me a lot of Smashing Pumpkins, but Brandon Gee’s soft vocals and unique tone against the heavier guitar is something that feels entirely new.

Cities like Manchester, London, and Liverpool are renowned for producing legendary bands but, in this current era, the musical landscape in Newcastle feels like untapped potential. “I think Newcastle needs a little bit more,” Mark admits. “I think there’s a big gap for something… We want to be something different,” he adds.

Growing up working class in Bedlington, an old mining town, has had a lasting influence on Brandon and his approach to music, “it all just ties into who you are”.

TENT have some upcoming gigs to round a successful year off nicely at Three Tanners Bank, North Shields – December 20th, 2024, tickets cost £5 – and Station East, Gateshead – December 28th, 2024, free entry. In terms of upcoming music, the band agrees to let Spoonbender run its course, but fans can expect to hear something new in January or February of 2025.

With Spoonbender serving as a bold first step, TENT is ready to build on their success and tackle the Newcastle music scene further, determined to bring something fresh and authentic to the North East. If their debut single is any indication, this is only the beginning of their journey.

If nothing else, TENT are some of the most genuine and down-to-earth people I have had the pleasure of meeting. They are definitely a band to keep an eye on. You can find them on Instagram and TikTok via @TentBandUK accompanied by their slogan HITB – Hoo Is The Band?

You can listen to my full interview with TENT here:

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