Young Rebel Set is back with new single ‘Anchorage', their first new music since 2014.
The Teesside band, known for their heartland anthems and no-nonsense emotional honesty, wrote ‘Anchorage' in 2012 during sessions for their second album ‘Crocodile'. The song didn't make the final cut but became a fan favourite on the live circuit. Over a decade on, the song has been re-recorded at Abbey Road Studios and is available to download and stream now.
With the release of ‘Anchorage', Young Rebel Set introduces Tom Blackwell, who is taking on lead vocals and acoustic guitar. His voice pays tribute to the late Matthew Chipchase.
“Anchorage has always been a song we loved but couldn’t quite fit onto the second album back then,” says guitarist Andy Parmley. “It’s stayed with us though, and we knew one day it needed its moment. It felt right that it would be the first song back – something that nods to our past but also shows people the intention of where we’re going.”
Formed in Stockton-on-Tees in 2007, Young Rebel Set rose through the UK indie scene with the kind of music that felt built for both rainy terraces and sold-out halls: emotional, defiant, and often quietly devastating. Their 2011 debut ‘Curse Our Love', released on Ignition Records (home to Oasis, Primal Scream), brought them national attention and cult devotion.
By the time 2013’s ‘Crocodile' arrived – recorded with Paul Savage (Mogwai, Franz Ferdinand) – they were playing to sell-out crowds across Europe, especially in Germany where their popularity exploded. In 2015, at the height of their underground momentum, the band quietly stepped away. The passing of Matthew Chipchase in 2019, their magnetic frontman and primary songwriter, seemed to mark the end of the road. The idea of new music felt unlikely.
The band will play two hometown comeback shows at ARC on Friday 14th November and Saturday 15th November. These intimate ARC shows will be the band’s first UK performances for over a decade, and promise to be emotional, celebratory, and completely unmissable. The set will include a respectful nod to the band’s legacy, but will be focused on looking forward: new songs, familiar faces, and the same no-frills power that made YRS one of the most essential live bands of their era.
With German tour dates for September selling out, and a full EP titled ‘SUN’ dropping 5th September 2025, ‘Anchorage' is just the beginning. There’s new music. There’s energy. And there’s a sense of something that was paused, not ended, finally being picked back up.
For tickets to ARC Stockton on Saturday 15th November visit https://shorturl.at/N1sbc
