A New Chapter for Birmingham’s Overpass
Birmingham indie outfit Overpass are sharpening their creative edge. They are currently channeling the structural experimentation they honed during their recent BBC Radio 1 Future Artists session into a fresh collection of material.
The Weight of ‘Elsewhere, Always’
Released in June 2026 as the successor to their 2025 EP Dependent, the 10-track Elsewhere, Always confronted the grinding reality of “hustle culture” and the quiet persistence of self-doubt.
That connection is already bearing fruit. Bassist India Armstrong reports a warm reception at European festivals throughout the summer.
Deconstructing the Pop Blueprint
The band’s recent pivot into Harry Styles’ mashup of “American Girls” and the Underworld techno classic “Born Slippy” provided an unexpected masterclass in arrangement. Newbold admits the choice was a deliberate attempt to lean into a “poppier” sound, a stark departure from their indie roots. To bridge the gap, the band imagined how stadium acts like U2 or Kings of Leon might tackle the track.
The technical challenge proved transformative. “Because it is like a pop/dance song, it was hard to get our heads around what Harry was doing there,” Armstrong said. “So we thought, ‘OK, let’s try and strip this back a bit and work it out in our own way.’”
Challenging the Indie Status Quo
That analytical approach to pop structure is now bleeding into the band’s original compositions. Drummer Jake Bishop confirms that the rhythmic lessons from the “American Girls” project are driving their latest sessions. The group is actively seeking to integrate unconventional elements, aiming to craft music that subverts the expectations of their established fanbase.
Though they are in the infancy of their post-album development, the momentum is palpable. The band is eager to retreat to the studio, looking to capitalize on their current creative streak as they draft the next iteration of the Overpass sound.
Touring and Milestones
- Debut Success: Elsewhere, Always was released in June 2026, exploring themes of burnout and self-doubt.
- Structural Influence: The band’s cover of Harry Styles’ “American Girls” served as a songwriting exercise, helping them experiment with pop and dance structures.
- New Material: Overpass is currently writing follow-up music, with a focus on incorporating more “outrageous” and unexpected sounds into their indie foundation.
- Touring: The band performed at the Mad Cool festival in Madrid on July 11, 2026, as part of their summer European tour.