London’s most delightfully unpredictable indie-dance agitators, Home Counties, are back—and they didn’t come quietly. Their new single Spain just dropped, and it’s a slick, shadowy pivot from the eccentric bounce of their 2024 debut ‘Exactly As It Seems’. Produced by Al Doyle (yes, that Al Doyle from Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem), this track is your first look into what feels like a new era for the band—leaner, darker, and way more existential.
You can check out the video for Spain below, and stream the track on all the usual spots here.
What’s Spain all about?
It’s basically an argument with yourself—soundtracked by glowering synths and the internal scream of “how did I become that guy?” Frontman Will Harrison puts it best: the song is “about growing older and fearing the person you might become, or are already becoming.” Picture a younger, idealistic you throwing philosophical punches at your sunburnt, morally-compromised older self sipping sangria in expat exile. Sounds bleak? Maybe. But in classic Home Counties fashion, it’s also kind of a bop.
The band use the metaphor of a disillusioned Brit abroad—burnt out, checked out, and sliding into the kind of life they used to hate—to explore those creeping compromises we all make with age. But don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom. There’s a twisted optimism in there too: maybe, just maybe, giving in to moral decline isn’t the worst thing after all?
Home Counties Are Hitting the Road
Alongside the release, the band have announced a full-blown UK headline tour for this November and December, capping things off with a big night at Scala in London. If you’ve ever caught them live, you know it’s part rave, part reckoning—expect high-energy chaos, synths flying, and the kind of danceable dread only they can deliver.
Upcoming Festival Dates:
- May 17 – Great Escape, Brighton
- May 25 – Bearded Theory, Derbyshire
- May 30 – Wychwood Festival, Cheltenham
- July 27 – Truck Festival, Oxford
- August 3 – Y Not Festival, Pikehall
…and more through the year. Full tour details below.
Let’s Talk About That Debut Album…
If ‘Exactly As It Seems’ slipped past you—fix that. Critics were all over it:
“A beautifully peculiar, joy-inducing triumph” – The Skinny
“A feast of dancefloor-imbued bangers… a joyous, grin-inducing call to arms” – Dork
“Home Counties have firmly asserted themselves as some of today’s brightest musical minds” – The Line of Best Fit
Basically, the record smashed expectations with its jittery synths, clever social commentary, and enough dancefloor DNA to keep the indie clubs spinning for weeks. Think Talking Heads by way of Confidence Man with a dash of post-Brexit disillusionment.
Who Are Home Counties Anyway?
If you’re new here, the lineup is:
Will Harrison (vocals/guitar/keys), Lois Kelly (vocals/keys), Conor Kearney (guitar/vocals), Dan Hearn (drums), Barn Peiser Pepin (synth/percussion/guitar/vocals), and Bill Griffin (bass/vocals).
They’ve shared stages with everyone from Shame to Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, and even scored a spot on the EA Sports FC 24 soundtrack. Not bad for a band that sounds like they’re throwing a nervous breakdown and a house party at the same time.
Radio Legends & Press Darlings
Elton John is a fan. Steve Lamacq’s been spinning their stuff. Press from The Telegraph to So Young have sung their praises, calling them everything from “a post-punk mirror maze” to “a band ready to redefine modern indie music.” No pressure or anything.
Home Counties – UK Tour 2025
November – December
- Nov 22 – Rough Trade, Bristol
- Nov 23 – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
- Nov 24 – Green Door Store, Brighton
- Nov 27 – Bodega, Nottingham
- Nov 28 – Flying Duck, Glasgow
- Nov 29 – Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds
- Nov 30 – YES Pink Room, Manchester
- Dec 1 – Hallamshire Hotel, Sheffield
- Dec 2 – Scala, London
More dates and info over on their socials:
Instagram: @homecountiesband
Facebook: /homecountiesmusic
New track Spain is out now on Submarine Cat Records. It’s moody, it’s philosophical, it’s totally danceable—and it might just be the beginning of Home Counties’ most exciting chapter yet.
Get burnt. Get existential. Get tickets.
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