The Guest List return with new single ‘Something Real’, a direct confrontation of rage-bait politics and algorithm-driven discourse.
The Manchester five-piece open with the stark refrain “Hate is on trend. War is on trend.” before landing on a central plea: “Hear me say something real.” The track pairs an upbeat, guitar-driven charge with a critique of a fractured media landscape shaped by echo chambers, culture-war outrage and monetised division.
Frontman Cai Alty describes it as a defining statement for the band. “This is the song that best represents what we want to say and be. It’s about finding something meaningful in a world where trolls, comment bots, algorithms and whistleblowers dictate public understanding. Where suffering is normalised, and where our most hateful impulses are nurtured.”
Produced with a muscular indie-rock edge, ‘Something Real’ builds on the foundations laid by last year’s debut EP When The Lights Are Out. That release tackled themes including men’s mental health, environmental anxiety and domestic violence, establishing The Guest List as a group intent on substance as much as scale.
Formed in early 2021 as school friends and music students, the band initially amassed more than 400,000 followers online through cover versions before pivoting to original material. Their ascent has been bolstered by festival appearances at Glastonbury Festival, The Great Escape and TRNSMT, alongside support from BBC Radio 6 Music’s Chris Hawkins.
Although comparisons to Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead have followed them, the band are clear about resisting regional pigeonholing. “We want to be seen as a band from Manchester, not just a Manchester band,” Alty has said.
Following a sold-out 14-date UK headline tour last November, including three nights at Camden Assembly and a 1,300-capacity hometown show at Manchester’s New Century Hall, The Guest List return to the road this April for another 14-date run.
‘Something Real’ is out now.
April UK headline tour dates
7th Dublin – Academy 2
9th Blackpool – Bootleg Social
10th Kingston Upon Hull – Polar Bear Music Club
11th Edinburgh – Cabaret Voltaire
12th Hebden Bridge – Trades Club
13th Preston – The Ferret
15th Liverpool – Arts Club
16th Stoke-on-Trent – The Sugarmill
17th Bedford – Esquires
18th Portsmouth – Kola
20th Southampton – The Joiners Arms
22nd Cardiff – Clwb Ifor Bach
23rd Bristol – Exchange
24th Brighton and Hove – Dukes at Komedia Picturehouse
Photo credit: Ewan Ogden
