EIGHTY EIGHT MILES: FULL THROTTLE INTO SUMMER WITH A DEBUT THAT DEMANDS YOUR ATTENTION
By Fred Spanner
Photo: Claire Hodgkins
Some bands graft for years and never quite click. Others kick the door in, nick the spotlight, and leg it straight to the top table. Enter Eighty Eight Miles are Birmingham’s fastest-rising, harmony-drenched indie outfit, and they’ve just dropped their debut EP Class of Eighty Eight.
Out now via This Feeling Records, the six-track EP is refreshing and also a little bit reckless. Leading the charge is the focus track Favourite Season, a swaggering, sharp-edged belter that sees frontwoman Ellie Grace dial up the attitude.
There’s a whiff of West Coast cool in there, but there’s also the bounce of modern indie, the kind that gets sweaty crowds bouncing. It’s a proper mix: lush vocals, jangly guitars, and plenty of edge.
But don’t get it twisted, this isn’t some overnight success story. They’ve been putting in the miles (pun absolutely intended), sharing stages with the likes of The Lottery Winners, The K’s and Red Rum Club. They’ve built a rep the old-fashioned way, and having legends like Lindsey Buckingham and indie darlings Blossoms in your corner doesn’t hurt either.
The EP itself is a proper statement piece. Opener Always On The Run still slaps with that indie-blues punch, while You Just Never Really Wanna Call Me Home slows things down into heart-on-sleeve territory. Then you’ve got fan favourites Sophie, Hi and Sexy Song rounding things out; proof that this isn’t just a collection of tunes.
Ellie puts it simply: they’ve worked their arses off for this. And it shows.
If you needed more proof they’re on the up, their EP launch show at Muthers Studio sold out quicker than you can say “next big thing.” That’s four consecutive sold-out hometown gigs, by the way.
And they’re not stopping there. Summer’s looking stacked, from Truck Festival main stage slots to Tramlines Festival and a headline turn at Y NOT?, they’re levelling up fast.
Bottom line? Class of Eighty Eight is a warning shot. Eighty Eight Miles aren’t coming. They’re already here, and they’re making a right noise about it.
Catch them here-
APRIL
25th - Glasgow, Audio (with The Cases)
MAY
1st - Manchester, Gorilla (with The Cases)
3rd - Derby Unplugged
22nd - Sheffield, Sidney & Matilda (with The Cases)
23rd - London, Here Comes The Sun
24th - Liverpool, Noisy Weekender
JUNE
12th - Portsmouth, Golden Touch
JULY
4th - Spain, Polifonik Sound
11th - Plymouth, Sound Factory Festival
24th - Oxfordshire, Truck Festival (main stage)
26th - Sheffield, Tramlines (Open Arms stage)
AUGUST
1st - Derbyshire, Y NOT? (The Pit - HEADLINERS)
20th - Leicestershire, 110 Above
28th - Warwickshire, Camper Calling