{"id":44650,"date":"2026-03-28T12:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T16:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44650"},"modified":"2026-03-01T19:09:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T00:09:39","slug":"manchesters-succulents-bloom-with-debut-single-underdog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44650","title":{"rendered":"Manchester\u2019s Succulents bloom with debut single \u2018Underdog\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Peppy, lo-fi, and brimming with charm, Manchester\u2019s newest college-rock duo,&nbsp;<strong>Succulents<\/strong>, have arrived with their joyful debut single,&nbsp;<strong><em>Underdog<\/em>.<\/strong> Out now, the track is a vibrant mix of fuzzy riffs, candy-floss harmonies, and playful indie energy reminiscent of&nbsp;<strong>Yo La Tengo<\/strong>,&nbsp;<strong>The Pastels<\/strong>, and&nbsp;<strong>Belle and Sebastian<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Led by&nbsp;<strong>Laurie Hulme<\/strong>&nbsp;(formerly of&nbsp;<em>Songs For Walter<\/em>) and joined by vocalist and photographer&nbsp;<strong>Lucy Ridges<\/strong>, Succulents craft a warm, two-hander sound that feels both intimate and immediately infectious. Think plugged-in guitar hooks layered over soft, swooning melodies, with a motorik middle section that nods to krautrock without ever losing its lo-fi charm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hulme, known for his solo work&nbsp;<em>Songs For Walter<\/em>&nbsp;and Manchester four-piece&nbsp;<em>Big Other<\/em>, brings his signature hazy production and heartfelt songwriting to the table, while Ridges adds fresh energy and a sense of joyful togetherness that defines the duo. Their influences read like a love letter to indie\u2019s golden era:&nbsp;<strong>The Pains of Being Pure at Heart<\/strong>,&nbsp;<strong>The Field Mice<\/strong>,&nbsp;<strong>The Clean<\/strong>,&nbsp;<strong>The Courtneys<\/strong>,&nbsp;<strong>Comet Gain<\/strong>\u2014all filtered through a lens of sunny nostalgia and playful immediacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Underdog<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;came to life during a period of retreat and reflection. Expecting a child, Hulme relocated from the bustle of the city to the serene South Lakes, spending hours each day writing and playing guitar. The result is a song that captures both intimacy and restlessness\u2014a snapshot of creativity thriving under unusual circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-9E6NDaMPUg?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-CA&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><br>On the track, Hulme explains: <em>\u201c\u2018Underdog\u2019 centres on a mischievous protagonist deliberately trying to provoke their partner, delighting in pushing buttons and watching the sparks fly. There\u2019s a darkly playful edge, not unlike the gleeful antagonism of\u00a0The Twits, wrapped in warm, fuzzed-out indie-pop textures.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Originally an acoustic fingerpicking number, the song grew louder and bolder, with krautrock inspirations seeping in from Hulme\u2019s time in kraut-punk band\u00a0Chew Magna. Recorded in a South Manchester bedroom, the track was then lovingly polished by Hulme\u2019s brother,\u00a0<strong>Alex Hulme<\/strong>, turning the lo-fi beginnings into a richly textured, emotionally resonant debut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is just the first taste of a growing batch of unreleased Succulents songs, and if this one is anything to go by, there\u2019s plenty more joy, mischief, and fuzzy indie magic to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out\u00a0<strong><em>Underdog<\/em><\/strong> and keep up with the band\u2019s first human-meets-tape-deck live shows on their Instagram:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/succulentsband\">@<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/succulentsband\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">succulentsband<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Peppy, lo-fi, and brimming with charm, Manchester\u2019s newest college-rock duo,&nbsp;Succulents, have arrived with their joyful debut single,&nbsp;Underdog. Out now, the track is a vibrant mix <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44650\" title=\"Manchester\u2019s Succulents bloom with debut single \u2018Underdog\u2019\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44651,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[22,23,28,29,30,1907],"tags":[727,13223,13222],"class_list":["post-44650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guitar-rock","category-indie","category-music","category-music-video","category-new-release","category-news","tag-lo-fi","tag-succulents","tag-underdog"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_7337.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2B2TV-bCa","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":28816,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=28816","url_meta":{"origin":44650,"position":0},"title":"Routine Death share new single &#8216;Charm Tooth&#8217;","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"April 10, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Austin\/Gothenburg-based lo-fi pop duo Routine Death have shared Charm Tooth, the first taste from their debut album 'Parallel Universes' \u2013\u00a0out on May 25th via\u00a0Black Hair Records and\u00a0Fuzz Club\u00a0Records. Pre-order it here. Take a listen to the single via Spotify below. Routine Death began in 2015 when Lisa and Dustin Zozaya\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;indie&quot;","block_context":{"text":"indie","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"Routine Death","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/press-photo.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/press-photo.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/press-photo.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/press-photo.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/press-photo.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":36320,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=36320","url_meta":{"origin":44650,"position":1},"title":"Bones Shake share \u2018Hey Hey\u2019 video","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"April 13, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"After the success of latest digital single Unwell, Bones Shake have shared another new video for their single Hey Hey. It\u2019s the second single from their upcoming second LP which will be out on Abattoir Blues Records before the end of the year. The track was recorded just before lockdown\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Bones Shake press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/C2026C74-539D-4B2D-B47D-C40340558E32-e1617455799965.jpeg?fit=1200%2C723&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/C2026C74-539D-4B2D-B47D-C40340558E32-e1617455799965.jpeg?fit=1200%2C723&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/C2026C74-539D-4B2D-B47D-C40340558E32-e1617455799965.jpeg?fit=1200%2C723&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/C2026C74-539D-4B2D-B47D-C40340558E32-e1617455799965.jpeg?fit=1200%2C723&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/C2026C74-539D-4B2D-B47D-C40340558E32-e1617455799965.jpeg?fit=1200%2C723&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44587,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44587","url_meta":{"origin":44650,"position":2},"title":"Guilty Party ride the waves of lo-fi surf rock on \u2018White Sands\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"March 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Cardiff\u2019s\u00a0Guilty Party\u00a0are back with a fresh breeze of scrappy charm on their new single White Sands, and it\u2019s the kind of track that feels like sand in your shoes\u2014in the best way possible. Stripped back and crispy, White Sands leans hard into lo-fi surf rock territory, pairing wistful, half-daydream vocals\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Guilty Party press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":36636,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=36636","url_meta":{"origin":44650,"position":3},"title":"Ventrelles share new single \u2018Call Of The Morning\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"April 26, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Manchester\u2019s Ventrelles have shared their latest single Call Of The Morning. It\u2019s the follow up to their melodic burst of a single County Lines. The track moves away from Ventrelles usual Soul heavy sound and gives us hints of fellow Manc Psych drenched pop makers Doves, with bits of Ride,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ventrelles press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/B7C598F2-C986-4878-935F-AB6CDC58D914.jpeg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/B7C598F2-C986-4878-935F-AB6CDC58D914.jpeg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/B7C598F2-C986-4878-935F-AB6CDC58D914.jpeg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/B7C598F2-C986-4878-935F-AB6CDC58D914.jpeg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":23128,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=23128","url_meta":{"origin":44650,"position":4},"title":"Outblinker announce tour dates + release live session","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"August 22, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Following on from their critically acclaimed EP release, Scottish experimental band\u00a0Outblinker\u00a0are set to embark on a series of live dates throughout Europe. To celebrate the announcement the band have released a live session of the track Kurt G\u00f6del\u00a0- watch it via YouTube below. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LhJEkMk9rD0 In November the band set off\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;indie&quot;","block_context":{"text":"indie","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"Outblinker","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/outblinkermain600x250_1.jpg?fit=600%2C250&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/outblinkermain600x250_1.jpg?fit=600%2C250&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/outblinkermain600x250_1.jpg?fit=600%2C250&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":33608,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=33608","url_meta":{"origin":44650,"position":5},"title":"Unicorns at Heart join Dangerbird Records\u2019 Microdose series","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"March 18, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The story of\u00a0Unicorns at Heart\u00a0begins with family. Rico and Ryan Loredo front the band, two brothers from the dry lands of Hesperia, CA, a desert town several hours northeast of Los Angeles. Their love of music flourished into colourful, meticulously-constructed indie rock landscapes filled with kaleidoscopes of radiant guitar, eloquent\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Unicorns At Heart press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7CF47B99-44E5-490E-8673-52C6ADAAD6FE-e1583841291309.jpeg?fit=1089%2C938&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7CF47B99-44E5-490E-8673-52C6ADAAD6FE-e1583841291309.jpeg?fit=1089%2C938&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7CF47B99-44E5-490E-8673-52C6ADAAD6FE-e1583841291309.jpeg?fit=1089%2C938&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7CF47B99-44E5-490E-8673-52C6ADAAD6FE-e1583841291309.jpeg?fit=1089%2C938&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7CF47B99-44E5-490E-8673-52C6ADAAD6FE-e1583841291309.jpeg?fit=1089%2C938&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44650","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=44650"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44650\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44653,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44650\/revisions\/44653"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/44651"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=44650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=44650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=44650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}