Newcastle three-piece Abnorm are carving out their own corner of alternative rock – sharp-edged, darkly humorous, and rooted firmly in real-life frustration. Formed during lockdown, the band have steadily built a reputation for relentless riffs, moody melodies, and unapologetic honesty. Their music embraces discomfort rather than shying away from it, finding moments of humour and clarity in chaos. Liza-Lou Campy caught up with the band to talk about writing through upheaval, laughing in dark places, and the strange, sleep-deprived inspiration behind their latest single, ‘Rats’.
For those who haven’t discovered you yet, tell us a little bit about the band…
We’re Abnorm, a three-piece alternative rock band based in Newcastle. The band consists of Abbie Rose on vocals, Ryan Brown on guitar, and Adam Willis on drums. Abnorm originally started as a solo project during lockdown, with Abbie writing music on her own. After restrictions lifted, she met Ryan at a gig, and Adam later joined after meeting at a musician’s social at Independent in Sunderland. Since then, we’ve grown into a band built on relentless riffs, moody melodies, and a strong sense of feminine defiance.
Your music isn’t afraid to sit in uncomfortable places. There’s darkness, humour, and a bit of chaos running through it. Was that a conscious choice early on, or did it emerge naturally?
The darkness has always been there. Even our first single, ‘Citrus’, had elements of dark humour that reflected the instability we all felt during lockdown. Our 2025 EP, ‘Giant’, leaned into that even further by openly mocking egos within the music industry. With our new single, ‘Rats’, the chaos came very naturally. It was born out of Adam’s extreme sleep deprivation caused by a rat infestation in his rented house, combined with Abbie’s full-time job as a pest controller. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s real – and that honesty has always been important to us.
‘Rats’ plays with perspective in a memorable way but still leaves room for interpretation. How do you balance telling a story with letting listeners find their own meaning?
We always try to write music that can be interpreted in multiple ways. It’s important to us that listeners can find their own meaning in a song and connect to it personally. ‘Rats’ is written from the perspective of the rat, but it can be read in completely different ways. The chorus line “I’m in your walls” is intentionally creepy, tapping into the paranoia and delusion that comes with extreme sleep deprivation. It’s very specific, but also open-ended.
You write collectively as a band. What does that look like in practice – messy and spontaneous, or more considered?
It usually starts pretty erratically. One person will bring in a single idea – maybe a riff, rhythm, or vocal line – and it builds from there. We throw ideas around openly and bounce off each other without being precious about anything. ‘Rats’ was our most collective project so far and really showcases all three of our musical inputs working together as a unit.
A lot of your songs come from everyday frustrations. Does writing help you process those feelings, or does it make you sit with them longer?
I’d definitely describe myself as a rage-writer. Writing is how I get frustrations out. Instead of getting angry, I write a song. Most of our music is created that way. Writing ‘Rats’ was especially cathartic because it gave us a way to channel all the frustration Adam was dealing with, particularly with an incompetent landlord.
Live shows have become a huge part of your identity. What has playing live taught you about yourselves?
Whether we’re playing to 50 people or 500, we always put on the same show. Playing live together has taught us how much energy and intensity define us as a band. It also gives us space to experiment – we often test out songs we’re still writing before recording them, which really helps shape the final versions.
To finish on a lighter note: if Abnorm were playing a house party instead of a venue, who’s on aux? And what’s the first song played?
We’d have to take turns, because we’re a democracy. Adam’s picking ‘Baked Alaska’ by Carter Vail. Ryan’s going with ‘Poison Lips’ by Vitalic. And Abbie’s choosing ‘Jerkin’’ by Amyl and the Sniffers.
You can listen to ‘Rats’ now on all major streaming platforms.
