The Holloways, Are they starting an Indie Resurgence?

By | | Leave a Comment
The Holloways
The Holloways

The Holloways

Twenty years feels like yesterday when you’re standing in front of a microphone again, ready to prove that good songs never really die. The Holloways are back, and their October 2025 comeback tour couldn’t be happening at a more perfect moment for indie music.

The North London duo of Bryn Fowler and Alfie Jackson first met two decades ago at Nambucca on Holloway Road, and now they’re returning to stages across England as pioneers of what feels like a genuine indie renaissance. Their five-date solo tour starts October 1st at Norwich’s Adrian Flux Waterfront, moves to London’s O2 Academy Islington on October 2nd, then Birmingham’s O2 Institute3 on October 3rd, Manchester’s The Bread Shed on October 4th, and wraps up October 5th in Grimsby at Docks Academy. They’ll be supported by up-and-coming band Camens, creating the perfect blend of nostalgic brilliance and fresh energy.

What makes this comeback particularly exciting isn’t just that The Holloways are reviving classics from their masterful 2007 debut “So This Is Great Britain?” It’s that they’re leading a wave of genuine 2000s revival that has transformed from social media curiosity into a full-blown cultural movement. Spotify’s “Indie Sleaze” playlist exploded by 344% in just four months, while The Strokes saw their monthly listeners jump from 10.5 million to 16.5 million throughout 2024. This isn’t manufactured nostalgia; it’s a generation discovering what The Holloways knew all along: authentic indie rock never goes out of style.

When bands become legends

“Hello, chaps! If you could pick one song from your debut album to instantly transport fans back to 2007, which would it be, and why does it still hit the same way today?” I ask them.

“We’d probably have to say generator as it’s such an iconic indie anthem from the noughties… and yes people still contact me about this one today. Also, at gigs recently it still got people dancing around and jumping for joy,” Bryn responds, and you can hear the genuine warmth and pride in his voice.

“Generator” wasn’t just their biggest hit; it was a defining moment of mid-2000s indie rock. Those cheeky lyrics, that infectious energy, and that uniquely British confidence that made you believe a three-minute song could change your night and possibly your life. It’s the kind of song that reminds you why indie music mattered so much in the first place.

The band’s incredible journey took them far from those early Holloway Road days. They shared stages with legends like Babyshambles, The Pogues, The Kooks, The Rakes, The Wombats, The Pigeon Detectives, and CSS, establishing themselves as essential voices in the era’s soundtrack. After splitting in 2011 following record label complications, they occasionally graced stages over the years, but this October marks their triumphant return with their first proper solo tour since then.

Looking back at those wild, formative years, I’m fascinated by their most memorable “indie sleaze” moment on tour. “There are so many incidents, I don’t know where to start. At this moment I’d say the one that sticks out in the memory the most is when we played in Stoke, supporting Baby Shambles; but I think Peter was ill or had an accident or something and the crowd was so hungry for more music, we went out and did a second set and it was even better than the first one. I think it really helped us cement our place in the hearts of fans in Stoke. There was such an energetic hunger that the fans had there that night and in fact every night that we played people just couldn’t get enough of live music back then.”

That raw energy, that spontaneous magic, that “anything could happen” feeling: The Holloways embodied everything that made the era special, and their return proves those qualities are timeless.

Leading the charge

The timing couldn’t be more perfect. While other 2000s acts are cautiously testing comeback waters, The Holloways are diving in headfirst at precisely the right cultural moment. The Libertines recently scored their first number one album since 2004 with “All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade.” Kaiser Chiefs are running their “Employment 2025” tour across multiple continents. Franz Ferdinand dropped “The Human Fear” in January 2025 and are touring extensively. Bloc Party is celebrating the 20th anniversary of “Silent Alarm” with a major North American tour.

But here’s what makes The Holloways special: they’re not just riding the wave, they’re helping create it. Their authentic connection to the era, combined with their genuine excitement about returning, positions them perfectly as leaders of this resurgence rather than followers.

The numbers prove this revival is real and substantial. Independent music revenues grew 16.1% in 2024, significantly outpacing industry averages. Rock music ranked second in streaming genres with 123.3 billion streams. Festival programmers are booking these acts not as nostalgia curiosities but as legitimate headliners, recognizing that audience appetite is both real and growing. The Holloways are at the forefront of proving that great indie rock has staying power.

North London’s beating heart

“North London was pivotal for your rise. How has the music scene there changed since your early days, and do you still find inspiration walking the streets where it all started?” I ask.

“Walking around Camden and other places in North London feels very different to what it did. Sadly, a lot of the venues have gone and also the number of cool bands has declined. The scene in general has died away as other genres seem to have been championed. It feels like labels and the media turned it back on bands and this has led to a decline in interest, but there are still a lot of young people out there who are really into indie music. I’d love to see a resurgence. A lot of things in music are cyclical so maybe indie bands will have their time again.”

What’s remarkable is how The Holloways have witnessed these changes while maintaining their connection to the scene’s essential spirit. Yes, iconic venues like The Astoria, The Borderline, and the original 12 Bar Club have vanished, victims of rising rents and development pressure. But the scene shows incredible resilience, and The Holloways represent continuity with its golden age.

KOKO magnificently reopened in 2022 after a 70 million pound renovation. The Dublin Castle continues hosting emerging bands five nights a week. Most symbolically, Nambucca, the very venue where Bryn and Alfie first met, closed in May 2022 but reopened in October 2024 under new management. It’s as if the universe was preparing for The Holloways’ return.

New venues keep opening too. Camden Courtyard launched in July 2024 as a 300-capacity open-air space. The infrastructure is evolving and adapting, ready for bands like The Holloways who understand what made the original scene special.

Vision for the future

When I ask about potential collaborations that could bridge their noughties brilliance with contemporary sounds, Bryn’s answer reveals his continued engagement with current music: “I guess one that I think would be most interesting is ‘Yard Act’ as I think they are lyrically really interesting and on point. They have a real charm and humour which isn’t 1,000,000 miles away from the way I write songs. I think their music also has an element of cheek and fun… although it’s very different to The Holloways, it could be a very interesting cocktail.”

This thoughtful response shows The Holloways aren’t stuck in the past but are actively thinking about how their sound could evolve. Yard Act represents exactly the kind of intelligent, witty British band that shares DNA with The Holloways across the decades. It suggests these artists understand their return is about more than pure nostalgia; it’s about reconnecting vital threads and showing how great songwriting transcends eras.

The emotional authenticity remains absolutely intact. “How does it feel to perform these songs now, 20 years later are they like old friends, or have you discovered new meanings in the lyrics and music with time?” I ask.

“It’s bizarre. It feels like months ago rather than years… it really does. The energy and the humour and the connection with the fans, along with the camaraderie on and off stage is just like it used to be years ago but it feels literally like a few months ago.”

This response captures something magical: The Holloways haven’t lost their spark. The chemistry, the joy, the connection that made them special in 2007 remains completely intact. They’re not trying to recreate the past; they’re continuing a story that never really ended.

More than a comeback

So are The Holloways starting an indie resurgence? The evidence strongly suggests they’re not just joining one that’s already underway, they’re helping lead it. The streaming data explosion, the successful comebacks across the genre, the festival bookings, the new venues opening: these all point to a substantial cultural shift that bands like The Holloways are perfectly positioned to capitalize on and guide.

What’s happening transcends simple nostalgia. Gen Z is discovering these sounds as fresh and authentic compared to the algorithmic perfection that dominates their feeds. Millennials are reconnecting with music that soundtracked their youth but now carries deeper emotional resonance. The indie sleaze revival isn’t about recreating 2007; it’s about reclaiming the spontaneity, community, and genuine emotion that The Holloways always represented.

Their October tour represents more than concerts; it’s evidence that some things are worth returning for, some moments deserve to be relived, and some bands possess that rare quality that makes their music feel essential across decades. When venues reopen just as legendary bands reform, when streaming algorithms start recommending classic tracks to eager new listeners, it feels like more than coincidence. It feels like culture recognizing quality.

The Holloways return to a scene that may be different but is hungry for exactly what they offer: authentic songs, genuine energy, and that indefinable quality that separates real bands from the rest. They’re not just part of proving the indie resurgence is real; they’re showing why it was inevitable.

This is The Holloways’ moment, and indie music is better for having them back.

Sources For The Holloways

George Millington
Latest posts by George Millington (see all)

Leave a Comment

Scroll to Top

Copyright © 2025 GSG Media