Gosport trio Damn Beats are relentlessly gigging across the south coast and their hard work has paid off in the form of their rapidly expanding fan base. With performances at Portsmouth’s Victorious Festival and 
the Borderline in London under their belts, it seems that they show no signs of slowing down. Their current trajectory looks hopeful and no doubt they’ll aim to follow the example of big name Portsmouth acts like Kassassin Street and New Desert Blues.
The sheer momentum of their rising popularity comes as no surprise after seeing their incredible live set. Damn Beats are seriously fun to watch and their combination of tight indie-pop beats and blues inspired guitar licks is undoubtedly the key to their appeal. Their sound is driving and upbeat and it showcases the songwriting talents of this trio. Guitarist and frontman Lee Coneley’s skills are staggering, and his blisteringly fast and crunchy riffs don’t hold him back from giving an emphatic vocal delivery or from lifting the guitar behind his head in true Hendrix fashion.
But with a name like Damn Beats, it’s not surprising that that the rhythm section provided by Harriet Terrill and Hannah Wheatley-Bird acts as the solid foundation for their sound. Wheatley-Bird’s drums on tracks like ‘Red Light Star‘ provide a great sense of song structure and growth, and Terrill’s bass grooves add colour to their indie-pop soundscape. On top of that, their vocal harmonies complement Coneley’s melodies perfectly.
With frequent shows around the south coast and support slots for impressive names in indie-pop like Fickle Friends, Damn Beats are one local band worth catching when they’re next in Southampton. In the meanwhile, their single release of ‘Red Light Star‘ should be convincing enough to pique the interest of any music fan with their eyes on the Hampshire scene.
