The Unsigned Guide Spotlight: October 2026

Not My Wife - ‘Best Friend’

Hailing from New Zealand but formed in London, alt indie five-piece Not My Wife are oozing with atmospheric vocals, jangly guitars and 80s synths.

Produced by Sean Genockey (NewDad, Shame, The Black Crowes), and released via Blaggers Records, the breezy and melodic ‘Best Friend’ is the third single to be unveiled by Not My Wife, and they tell us more about the meaning behind the song;

“‘Best Friend’ was a bit of a slow burn. Joe, our guitarist, was surfing in Morocco last summer, and was interested in writing a song about the duality of being able to live between the London rat race and the North African coastline. The band brought it to Sean Genocky’s studio in Limeuil, Le Rouquet, and from there it morphed into a song about the duality of relationships, and how two people can be living within the same reality, while experiencing it on different ends of the spectrum. The verses detail one person sitting in the bliss of new love, while the choruses expose the narrator’s realisation that their partner may not have been feeling the same way.”

Alongside their debut releases ‘Home Alone’ and ‘Boar Hunt’, the band have spent the past 18 months establishing themselves on the London circuit - very successfully too, playing packed out gigs at Camden Assembly, XOYO, and Strongroom.

“Being able to build a community of fans across London while all being from the southern hemisphere feels like a massive achievement.”

They’ve also landed on the radar of Radio X’s John Kennedy who’s been giving ‘Best Friend’ airplay on his Xposure show.

Currently in the process of mixing and mastering their next single ‘Where Did It Go’, they’ve also got a headline slot on 23rd October at Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes in London. Beyond that, Not My Wife will be heading back to the studio to cook up another batch of delicious Antipodean/Anglo songs for our delectation.

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BIG ROOM - ‘Jimothy’

Blending guitars and electronics, South East London four-piece BIG ROOM draw inspiration from the likes of Alexis Taylor, James K, Blood Orange, Postal Service, Darkside and Massive Attack.

If you’ve ever been so tense that you’ve felt it necessary to christen your stress-ball, then BIG ROOM’s ‘Jimothy’ is the song you need. Also named after a stress ball owned by vocalist and keyboard player Matt, the track is like a sonic balm, full of twinkly synths, soothing vocals and anchoring guitars.

‘Jimothy’ is the lead single to be taken from the band’s second EP which will drop this Autumn, and Matt tells us how the song began life;

“Musically, the track started with the synth riff which came to me when playing piano on a hungover morning when living in Brixton. I wanted to try layering different chords in the left and right hands after my piano teacher was telling me about quartal harmony. I then demo’d the track on the UDO synth through a reverb pedal and a Roland drum machine and nervously shared to the rest of the band. Fortunately, they liked it and Dan, our guitarist, added the guitar and Alex locked in a melodic bass line. Lyrically the song is about lucid dreaming and the unconscious spaces we navigate in relationships, and the push/pull of letting someone in.”

With radio airplay from the likes of Netil Radio and NTS, whose One Glove Breakfast Show with Macca every Saturday has become a big advocate of the BIG ROOM sound, plus a Best New Music feature for ‘Jimothy’ in The Line of Best Fit, things are definitely headed in the right direction for the band.

Making a mark on the London live scene with gigs at The Half Moon, Cavendish Arms, The Lexington, Folklore and New Cross Inn, the band also have a second EP ready to drop imminently before they retreat to record more material.

“Looking further ahead to 2027 we’re looking to record our debut album and would love to play a few festivals across England and Wales in 2027 so watch your inboxes!”

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Abolish Golf - ‘Into Place’

Stylistically covering a broad range on the indie rock spectrum, swinging from the frantic and angular to the more casual and off kilter, Edinburgh band Abolish Golf’s latest single ‘Into Place’ leans towards the latter, with a healthy dose of 90s alternative rock added to the mix too.

The four-piece break down how the track gradually came together;

“The song was originally composed by our guitarist and newest member Sean, who had written this verse/chorus/verse, quiet/loud/quiet pattern years ago and had been playing it over and over again, annoying friends and family alike. When he took it into practice we were all really impressed and added our own parts, Jamie added the bridge section and fleshed it out. We recorded vocals, guitars, and percussion back in January at Teleharmonic Studios in Perth. The bass and synth parts were recorded by Cameron in his flat in Leith while recovering from a stay in hospital after a heart failure diagnosis, from which he has thankfully fully recovered.”

Abolish Golf have been busy making an impact on the Scottish live scene across Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth, with stand-out gigs at Sneaky Pete’s, Bannermans, The Poetry Club, The Safari Lounge, The Ball Room, plus a headline slot at T@3 Festival on the Cowgate and some dazzling support slots too.

“Our biggest achievements as we see it are probably getting to support some bands that we ourselves are big fans of, like The Deadlians and Shady Nasty. To be able to share the stage with those guys was really special for us, both those bands have made some phenomenal records. And we also got to go to their gigs for free, which is nice.”

Before the month is out the four-piece will be headlining the Wee Red Bar in Edinburgh on 23rd October. And to see out 2026 in true Abolish Golf style there’ll be even more shows coming up, so keep an eye out for some as yet unannounced dates across Scotland.

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TRAPPS - ‘Eat Me’

Merging early melodic punk and Britpop, Brighton band TRAPPS are unleashing their signature sound, BritPunk, and their debut single ‘Eat Me’ has already been going down a storm.

Picking up airplay from Amazing Radio and BBC 6Music, TRAPPS frontman Simon tells us about his creative process at the time ‘Eat Me’ sprung to life;

“At the time I was writing prolifically trying to finish a song a day, 3 times a week. I never really know what songs are going to be about until I finish them, this one seems to express a lack of self esteem when it comes to romance, or the lack of it.”

As well as the buzz of early radio airplay, TRAPPS have also relished in some memorable shows so far;

“Our best gig to date has to be the Isle Of Wight Festival, but our most exciting was at The Black Lion, Alt Escape during this years Great Escape festival weekend, it was hosted by Chris Hawkins and was busting at the seems, many of the people in the room were tipped off about us as we had played a few times already over the weekend.”

After bringing together their debut EP with the legendary Ben Hillier (Blur, Depeche Mode, Elbow), we’ll leave you with this teaser as to what will be in store. And in the meantime, keep it locked on TRAPPS’ socials for more details of the EP release.

“These are tails of triumph, anthems for the lost. The songs are instantly memorable, covering subjects that range from addiction and social equality, through to Boris Bikes and Dear Deirdre.”

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Waterpistol - ‘She Flies’

Gathering support from BBC 6Music, God is in the TV and BBC Radio Wales, Cardiff 6 piece Waterpistol’s psychedelic rock ‘n’ roll sounds are fuelled by their admiration for Shack, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The La’s.

Single ‘She Flies’ is brimming with ‘60s attitude; as is their dynamite 4 track EP ‘Hey Harry’ which was unveiled last month. Backed by BBC Horizons and Art Council Wales’ 2026 Launchpad Fund, the EP has been bestowed with positive reviews so far.

Establishing a strong live reputation, the band have played some blinding festival sets at the likes of In It Together, FOCUS Wales, Green Man and Sŵn Festival. Recording tracks at the legendary Rockfield Studios, previously utilised by the likes of Queen, Manic Street Preachers, The Stone Roses and Black Sabbath, has also been, as anticipated, a major high point for the group.

“Standing between walls which have bounced the sounds of a myriad of icons from one end to the other, there's something affirming about planting your feet into a space like that.”

Building on their live clout, Waterpistol are gigging hard throughout the month. Keep it locked on socials for details of upcoming gigs.

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