The six bands that kicked off the 2010s post-punk revival
Although it has now become a byword for posh lads imitating Mark E Smith, a man who would have hated them with all his being, there was a time when the mention of the post-punk genre didn’t make you wince and illicit haunting flashbacks to the gigs exhibiting coiffed, trouser-up-to-the-navel frontmen and their defective Surrey-cum-sprechgesang delivery that made you want to lead a bloody inquisition.
Picture the scene. It was 2012, and music was finally morphing out of the kaleidoscopic land of the late 2000s. Things were becoming more homogenised because of internet sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. Sure, David Cameron and Gideon Osbourne might have been in power for half of their first term by that point and were gradually making Britain a much worse place following the economic disaster of 2008, but musically, things were looking up.
The period was brimming with quality content across the musical spectrum. Grunge and shoegaze experienced a revival through the B-Town and hardcore scenes, while bands like The Horrors and Toy reignited interest in psychedelia and krautrock. At the same time, electronic music entered a bold new phase, spurred by the emergence of artists like Grimes. It was clear that music was experiencing a renaissance, with style and substance reclaiming centre stage after years of 1980s-inspired maximalism and the extensive indie resurgence that preceded it.
Rewinding the mind fast through the years, whizzing past Yard Act, Idles, Shame and the rest, not to mention images of bowl cuts, questionably luminous M-kat and denim jackets, I arrive at a place where post-punk was making a comeback off the back of a collection of bands who were truly fantastic, and absolutely refreshing when they emerged.
Lasting from roughly 2012 to 2018, this surge breathed new life into guitar music and inspired a wave of artists who followed in its wake. Like all great movements, it was eventually diluted by opportunists who failed to notice that the world had moved on. Yet, there’s no denying that this was a golden era for 2010s post-punk—absolutely glorious in its time. While the period had its share of bleak moments, they pale in comparison to today’s challenges. Looking back, it’s hard not to long for just one more day to revel in the excitement and creative energy that defined those years.
The bands that started the 2010s post-punk revival:
6. Savages
I remember the first time I came across Savages, and that was at Bridlington Spa in 2012 when astoundingly, they and Scum were supporting The Vaccines. I can still feel the arresting energy, the mystique of the dark blue and green lighting, and Jehnny Beth’s haunting vocals carrying throughout the roomy acoustics of the large old building. It’s safe to say they stole the show, and I instantly bought an EP.
Savages may have been inactive since 2017, but during their time, they were a force to be reckoned with, and their music remains as impactful today as ever. Unlike many of the imitators who emerged in their wake, Savages delivered something truly compelling and authentic. With a relentless rhythm section, the experimental edge of guitarist Gemma Thompson, and Beth’s commanding voice and electrifying stage presence, they redefined the post-punk formula in a way that felt genuinely fresh. Their signature black-clad aesthetic was as striking as their sound, and their 2013 debut, Silence Yourself, remains an essential listen for any music fan.
5. Iceage
Iceage, what a band. One of the only acts on this list remains, releasing their most recent album in 2021’s Seek Shelter. When they first emerged in 2011 with their debut, New Brigade, the band were championed by the press as the next biggest thing, and for a while, it looked like they might go stratospheric, going from strength to strength in the studio and live. Plus, they were all model material, adding an aesthetic pull to their product.
The most notable aspect of the Danish band’s sound is frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt’s almost drunken crooning, but it’s not the only highlight. In their early years, their raw sound provided another distinctive take on the post-punk formula, drawing on art punk, no-wave, garage rock, and hardcore to give themselves real substance and lay the foundations for the artistic refinement to come.
Although the debate concerning their best work is unending, with most going for 2014’s Plowing Into the Field of Love, they’re a band who don’t concern themselves with such matters. They clearly sensed the changing of times and have continued to evolve their sound, layering it further and moving away from outward post-punk, following their path to the point of cult band supremity.
There was a time, particularly in England, when their influence was everywhere, which was a shame for them as an array of imitators attempted to water down their approach. However, many of us remember just how exciting the old days were, and they’re untouchable. My old mate Joe talks about it like some do for the 1960s.
4. Eagulls
In 2014, Leeds outfit Eagulls had placed themselves firmly at the forefront of British guitar music. After making their name on the live circuit, they released their self-titled debut album in March of that year, which did not disappoint. Composed of frontman George Mitchell’s shouted but reverb-drenched vocals, washy chorus-laden guitars and another tight rhythm section, the group’s sound immediately grabs you, locking you in. It’s gothic but energetic and has retained all of its pulp.
The story of Eagulls is a strange one. After the release of their debut, they were on a fast upward trajectory and even secured performances on Letterman and Later…, but after their mellower and quite frankly underrated second effort, Ullages arrived in 2016 and was not what people wanted, things seemed to slip away for the quintet quickly, with them splitting two years later. It’s a shame, as they had a bright future, with their spirit found across the north in ensuing post-punk bands such as Lumer at the time. It’s a classic case of second album syndrome.
3. Protomartyr
Protomartyr are still going strong and continue to push their post-punk sound forward. They released the exceptional Formal Growth in the Desert in 2023, featuring tracks such as ‘Elimination Dances’; by this point, their name has become synonymous with quality. Led by the poetic lyrics and baritone of Joe Casey, supplemented by the melodic dynamism of Greg Ahee, and possessing their own accomplished rhythm section in bassist Scott Davidson and drummer Alex Leonard, the Detroit band’s gothic, expressive sound has been massively influential.
Not only have the group made an impact in America, but a lot of the latter 2010s post-punk revival looked to their marriage of crooning vocals, spikey guitars and slick basslines for inspiration, from the Brixton Windmill to Leeds’s Wharf Chambers. Like with every band that’s singular, though, they can’t be replicated, and anyone who’s delved heavily into this side of things must know it deep down. For evidence of Protomartyr’s influence, look no further than 2015’s The Agent Intellect and its 2017 follow-up, Relatives in Descent.
2. Preoccupations (formerly Viet Cong)
They might have only four albums to their name, but Preoccupations – the band formerly known as Viet Cong – have made a tremendous impact on the world of post-punk on both sides of the Atlantic. A deeply artful group crafting an increasingly synthy, cinematic sound, they have some of the best basslines on this list and a whole load of inventive guitar lines. Awash with the influence of the 1980s, from the vocals to the aesthetic, their sound is still all-encompassing, regardless of some aspects’ apparent familiarity.
Their debut album, 2015’s Viet Cong, was an instant classic. It features the thunderous grower ‘Bunker Buster’, which added a narcotic krautrock jam vibe to the post-punk genre. Just listen to the chimes of the guitar and driving chords—you’ve heard it a million times since in an array of post-punk groups. Regardless, all four of the Canadian group’s records to date have been excellent, and the way they have burnished their approach has been exemplary for those wanting to remain true to themselves artistically while keeping the original flame alive.
1. Ought
No list of bands that kicked off the 2010s post-punk wave would be complete without Montreal legends Ought. A typically influential outfit in that they only released three albums in their decade of existence, this lack of quantity is made up for in quality. Together, Tim Darcy, Matt May, Ben Stidworthy and Tim Keen created a sound that would arguably influence their post-punk wave most, thanks to Darcy’s Mark E. Smith-esque delivery, his descriptive lyrics, their dynamic choices and other notable characteristics.
The quartet had a propensity for artful post-punk with a profoundly immersive edge, which added sophistication to the genre and gave it a leg up for the contemporary era. Their definitive song is ‘Beautiful Blue Sky’ from 2015’s Sun Coming Down, and much of what came after can be heard in it. However, other cuts from their masterpiece, including ‘Men for Miles’ and ‘Never Better’, also offer much insight into how and why the post-punk of the 2010s turned out as it did. They might have split in 2021, but now Darcy and Stidworthy continue to evolve in Cola, who released their second album, The Gloss, earlier this year.
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