Antics, made up of friends Olly Harris, 18, Louis Coulthard, 18, Ben Penney, 20, and Taylor Edgar, 17, will release their first track, Change, on Friday, March 20. 

To mark the release, the band will play an intimate launch show at The Source in Denton Holme, alongside Dakota Avenue, who will be making their Carlisle debut. 

Lead singer and guitarist Olly said the single had been a long time in the making. 

Antics. (Image: Lewis Elliot)

“It’s been in the pipeline for a while, so it’s good to finally get something out of it. It’s exciting,” he said. 

“I think it’s always been one of our strongest songs and a favourite with people, so that’s why we chose to release it first. 

“We’ve put a lot of work into it. It was written a long time ago – well over a year ago – and then we went over to Newcastle to record it. I wrote it in my kitchen on a Saturday afternoon, and it just developed from there.” 

Guitarist Ben explained that the track evolved further once the band entered the studio. 

He said: “The producer, Andy, really took it to a new level. It really became the song it is now. I think it helped that Andy was excited about it as well – he really likes the song.”

Before the release show, the band will also perform an acoustic set at the Vinyl Café in Carlisle city centre on Saturday, March 15. 

Antics said being based in Cumbria can make breaking into the music industry more challenging, but they are grateful for the support they receive locally. 

“It’s very challenging,” said Ben. “But I think it’s good because we’ve got a loyal group of people who come to all the gigs. I don’t think a band our size would have that in a bigger city.” 

Louis added: “We have a lot of backing from the venues in Carlisle because it’s quite a tight-knit community. But it does definitely make it harder to break through.”

Antics at The Source poster. (Image: Supplied)

Despite the challenges, the band have big plans for the year ahead, including releasing a second single and continuing to perform live. 

Taylor said: “The goal is to see what happens with these two singles and then take it from there. We’re looking forward to it.”

Olly added: “Get down to The Source for a mucky, messy do!”

Antics at The Brickyard in Carlisle. Source: Ian Duncan. (Image: Ian Duncan)

Tickets for the gig at The Source cost £8 plus booking fees, with doors opening at 7.30pm. You can buy your tickets here: https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Carlisle/The-Source-Collective/Antics–Dakota-Avenue/42081167/.

Change will be released on all major streaming platforms on Friday, March 20. You can pre-save the single here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/antics5/change.