Hartlepudlian four-piece alt-rock outfit Northern Hospitality are wrapping up a busy few years of musical graft with the release of a brand-new track, ‘Goodbye to Shangri-La’, and I was lucky enough to get an early listen.
The song arrives hot on the heels of the band performing on some brilliant stages alongside some of the country’s biggest artists including Pete Doherty, Kaiser Chiefs, and Feeder. It seems Northern Hospitality are intent on taking over the world, one stage at a time.
‘Goodbye to Shangri-La’ is the product of years of honing their craft, and it’s gratifying to see a local act clearly taking off. It wouldn’t surprise me if Northern Hospitality became a national name, rather than remaining a North Eastern gem. Their live performances are already going nationwide, with stages like Kendal Calling under their belt. This band has all the trappings of “One to Watch,” and I’m thrilled to be there in their early days.
Not only is it a solid track, but ‘Goodbye to Shangri-La’ also serves as a perfect calling card for the Hartlepool-based quartet. Each layer represents the individual members: the charismatic Gaz Price leading on vocals, Sean McCloskey adding beautiful melodies on lead guitar, Nico Mouissie holding down bass, and Georgia Smith keeping everything tight and cohesive on drums. Every part gets enough space to contribute to the song as a whole. It’s a well-balanced powerhouse that will have you nodding along and feeling ready to take on the world.
With unapologetically rousing lyrics, stadium-filling guitar sounds, and production values to rival Abbey Road, Northern Hospitality prove once again that the North East has a knack for producing bands that not only have something to shout about but also know how to do it big and loud. At NE Volume, we champion North East music, but this band barely needs any help.
You can listen to ‘Goodbye to Shangri-La’ on all streaming platforms now. To catch them live and find out more about the band, head to linktr.ee/northernhospitality. Be warned, the band is already going national, so their shows are spreading across the UK.
