Sheffield’s next great musical hope bringing honest-to-God soul back to Steel City
In a music landscape currently drowning in algorithmic polish and clinical indie-pop, four Sheffield students are choosing to do things the old-fashioned way: with sweat, 70's drenched swagger, and a bloody fantastic melody.
Meet Meridian.
Formed just last year after meeting at University of Sheffield, the four-piece – frontman Alex (lead vox, guitar), Will (bass, backing vox), David (keys), and James (drums) – are cutting through the clutter with a sound that feels less like a corporate strategy and more like a lost tape unearthed from Olympic Studios in 1968.
To trace their DNA and primal inspirations is to take a joyride through the golden age of rock and soul.
Listen closely and you’ll catch the mod-fuelled crunch of The Small Faces and The Kinks, the loose, beer-stained romance of Faces, the melodic bite of Paul Weller, and the raw, heart-on-sleeve catharsis of Neil Young, all anchored by a pulsing Motown groove and the swagger of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
Their debut drop as a collective was anchored by the triumphantly gritty single ‘Down by the Waterline’.
Now, with their ambitious new double A-side ‘Walks On Sunshine / Sinking’ dropping on the 5 October, those legendary musical inspirations bleed through every groove clearer than ever.
As the bright strut of ‘Walks On Sunshine’ seamlessly transitions directly into the swelling surrealism of ‘Sinking’, you can practically hear their mod, soul, and classic rock heritage come to life in real time, producing a seamless two-part masterclass in dynamic talent.
If you want proof of their rapid rise, look no further than West Street.
After selling out iconic local haunts across town, the band’s defining moment came when they packed out The Washington to the absolute rafters, turning the legendary Steel City venue into a sweat-drenched furnace of feedback, keys, and roaring crowd vocals.
It’s that unpretentious, live-wire connection that makes Meridian feel less like a fresh uni band and more like the city’s next essential export.
To celebrate the new release, the lads are throwing a launch party the very next night (6 October) at historic local boozer Shakespeare’s.
The plan? To completely decorate the venue and transform the pub into ‘Meridian Disneyland’.
Quite what a South Yorkshire rock ‘n’ roll magic kingdom looks like remains to be seen, but given the band's penchant for vintage grit and soulful hooks, expect less Mickey Mouse and a lot more pure, unadulterated swagger.
Meridian aren't interested in chasing fleeting social media trends or polishing off their edges.
They want to play on their own terms, championing an honest, original, and gloriously unvarnished sound rooted in the timeless lineage of the greats who came before them.
Sheffield has always known how to build proper bands—and right now, Meridian are laying down the blueprint.
Get yourself down to Shakespeare’s, order a pint, and step inside the kingdom.