Rising UK band Only The Poets recently announced their signing to EMI Records and release their first single for the label, “Even Hell.” Produced by the band in collaboration with Charlie Hugall (Florence + The Machine, Frank Turner), “Even Hell” is a celebration of the transformative power of music full of chiming guitars, impassioned vocals and irresistible harmonies that swoop over the song’s infectious rhythm – “It’s nice to know/ I’m not alone/ I swear when I’m with you/ Even hell feels like home.”

The Reading four piece comprising of Tommy Longhurst, bassist Andy “Roo” Burge, guitarist Clem Cherry and drummer Marcus Yates, have established themselves in just a few short years as one of the UK’s biggest emerging live acts. Unsigned until recently, the band’s DIY ethos saw them build things from the ground up, playing student house parties, pub circuits and small venues to selling out 1,600-capacity venues in the UK and across Europe.

‘“Even Hell is our love letter to music” says Longhurst, “We just wanted to show our appreciation for music and how it can help you out and give you that escape in scenarios that would normally make you feel stressed and uneasy. Sonically it leans into our Britpop influences with the energy of it, and the fans seemed to have really connected with it.”

Growing up in Reading and nearby Banbury, the Reading Festival loomed over the band, dropping an annual hint (notably witnessing Arctic Monkeys’ first headline slot) that a “small town existence ” wasn’t the only option thanks to music. They began creating their own songs, Longhurst’s autobiographical lyrical honesty and raw feelings combined with big horizon-filling melodies inspired by 90’s British indie instantly connected with audiences who felt the power of inclusivity through their songs. “I’ve always written really honestly and openly, because I want fans to know that it’s OK not to be OK. I think nine out of 10 times, someone has probably felt the exact way you have in that moment you’re writing. Our fans tell us the shows feel like a safe space,” Longhurst says. “That’s what we’re really proud of. If someone feels like they can’t express themselves, at least they know they can at our shows, there’s no judgment. They know they’ll be accepted there”