There’s a comment on the music video for Hidden Youth’s new track “Promises” that says, “Lads simply smashing it.” That perfectly encapsulates the vibe. (Review over.)
That said, this Leeds group has made great headway into the UK emo scene. On “Promises”, their third-ever single, the band showcases a sound that blends second-wave emo a la Sunny Day Real Estate with the post-hardcore touch of Fucked Up and Pissed Jeans. And although the group just started performing and releasing records this year, experience shapes the sound. The members of Hidden Youth – Jake Poll, Niall Wright, Jonathan Kirk, and Carl Glover – have each played in different bands before, making this sort of a northern England indie punk supergroup.
“Promises”, according to Polls, describes giving up the need for control and accepting the things that he cannot change. (Think the Serenity Prayer, but punk.) It is “an attempt at catharsis,” leading him back to how having only so much control guides him “how to respond to difficult situations and ugly feelings.” Polls manifests those ugly feelings in the lyrics – “Choices made on my behalf/Bite the hand with nothing in it/Palm full of empty promises” – in order to expunge them, so that better choices might flourish in their place.
After a busy year of smashing it, Hidden Youth have plenty more coming down the line in 2026. Listen to “Promises” and keep up on their Instagram to see what’s next.
Written by Will Sisskind
