Neck Deep

Hailing from the town of Wrexham in Wales, Neck Deep initially formed when vocalist Ben Barlow met lead guitarist Lloyd Roberts through Barlow's older brother, Seb. Having penned a number of tracks on his own, Barlow and Roberts posted their song What Did You Expect online under the Neck Deep moniker, going on to enlist guitarist Matt West, drummer Dani Washington and bassist Fil Thorpe-Evans. Following the release of their debut Rain In July EP in 2012 and A History Of Bad Decisions a year later, the five-piece signed to Californian independent label Hopeless Records. Their debut full-length, Wishful Thinking, followed in 2014.

The album quickly cemented Neck Deep as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary pop-punk both in the UK and further afield, securing the band a position on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart in the United States. Its release has since been credited as a defining moment in UK pop-punk, injecting life back into an otherwise dwindling scene.