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Short Bio

The Number 8 make alternative post-punk for people with places to be.

Gritty and catchy, their songs get to the point quickly: English vocals and lyrics that move from dodgy mates and toxic work, to injustice, self-doubt and carrying on regardless.

One bloke described them as “Green Day and The Clash fighting in a bin.”

They took it as a compliment.

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Medium Bio

The Number 8 make alternative post-punk with little interest in hanging about.

Overdriven guitars and upbeat rhythms, English vocals and hooks that arrive early. Their songs tackle dodgy mates, toxic relationships, work, self-doubt, injustice and the strange business of being alive, often tongue-in-cheek.

The band's sound has been described as “Green Day and The Clash fighting in a bin” and “when Blur and Weezer match on Tinder then write an EP.”

Formed in Stroud, the four-piece clicked immediately, both personally and musically. Since then they've gotten tighter, laughed more, and developed songs that manage to be energised yet vulnerable, frustrated but whimsical, without getting lost in their own seriousness.

Live, they're tight, confident and interactive, with plenty of crowd banter and none of the usual rock-star posturing.

The songs are the thing, though. Catchy enough to follow you home. Lyrics raw enough to make you wonder where they came from.

And usually over before you've had time to check your phone.

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Long Bio

The Number 8 don't do faff.

The Stroud four-piece make alternative post-punk built around crunchy overdriven guitars, upbeat rhythms, English vocals and hooks with absolutely no intention of behaving themselves.

Their songs are short and difficult to shake. They wander through unreciprocated relationships, dodgy mates, toxic situations, not wanting to work, buying things you don't need because perhaps this one will finally make you happy, ADHD, self-doubt, injustice and the general absurdity of trying to get through modern life without losing your mind.

Somehow, it's usually quite uplifting.

The band's sound has been described as “Green Day and The Clash fighting in a bin.” and “when Blur and Weezer match on Tinder then write an EP.” 

But underneath the whimsy is something more grounded. The songs care about people. They care about unfairness, poverty, kindness and the planet. They can be frustrated without becoming miserable, vulnerable without becoming earnest, and political without forgetting that sometimes life is just ridiculous.

Take It Hasn't Stopped Me. Ally saw a TikTok of a man called Sam struggling to order food at a drive-through because of his stammer. Despite the difficulty, Sam got his food and finished by saying he was pleased with himself because his stammer hadn't stopped him. Ally picked up his guitar. Fifteen minutes later, the song existed.

That combination of immediacy and feeling runs through The Number 8.

The band came together through a mixture of online posts, social media and flyers around Stroud. James spotted one on Sound Records’ Instagram, Ricky found one pinned up in The Prince Albert, and Korbin got in on JoinMyBand. 

The first full band meet happened at The Old Lodge pub. The first rehearsal went even better. They clicked musically and personally. Since then, they've become tighter, developed more ideas and, importantly, laughed loads.

Live, they're confident and interactive. The playing is tight. The songs are the focus. The audience gets involved. Nobody pretends to pose.

The Number 8 are based in Stroud and proud to be part of its unusually rich and supportive creative scene. They're now looking towards bigger stages, festival slots, recording an album and, eventually, the rather inconvenient ambition of making music their job.

Until then, they'll keep churning out songs.

They'll be the ones you remember.

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