Purveyors of danceable indie rock -- veering between brooding and feel-good in tone -- West Lothian, Scotland's Mark Sharp & the Bicycle Thieves are a product of the same scene that gave root to both Lewis Capaldi and the Snuts. By the end of 2019, these acts had helped to raise the profile of Sharp's band by gifting them prestigious support slots, creating demand for their debut EP, MS&TBT. Mid-2020 brought MS&TBT Live in London, recorded at Islington's Hope & Anchor, before the slow build began to the release of the group's debut studio album. Unmask the Circus eventually appeared in 2023, reaching both the U.K. Top 20 and number one in Scotland.