Fresh

London-based pop-punk trio Fresh came into existence as the project of singer/songwriter Kathryn Woods. A songwriter from the age of 14, Woods wrote confessional pieces about the trials and tribulations of growing up and in May 2015 recorded -- with friend James Rowland -- and self-released her first EP, Gewingchum. Six months later, a second EP, These Things Are Not That Fun, was released and featured Rowland once again playing guitar and on production duties, while Deyaz Willis-Browne sat in on drums and Soroush Fereydoni played bass. The EP, which features a cover of Joyce Manor's "Derailed," ranges from the laid-back acoustic opener "The Woods" to the spiky punk rock of "Passing." 2016 saw the group -- with George Philips and Dan Goldberg taking over bass and drum duty -- playing a raft of gigs in London and beyond, including support slots with Muncie Girls, Doe, Tender Defender, and Happy Accidents. At the beginning of 2017, the group re-entered the studio to record what would become their debut album. The blistering first single, "Fuck My Life," appeared in June after the band announced they had signed to Exeter-based indie Specialist Subject -- home to the likes of the Smith Street Band, Great Cynics, and Caves. Tracks "I'll Be Back" and "Bible Camp" followed before the August release of their eponymously titled album. ~ Rich Wilson