Hartlepool, UK’s Champ launch their debut single “Taste To Run,” this week. It’s a slice of guitar-led indie rock that channels the restless spirit of post-industrial coastal towns. Shimmering Rickenbacker chords flicker throughout from Luke Cowley, backed up by a propulsive rhythm section of Will Hamilton (Bass) and Tom Southeran (Drums). Jonny Bee's poignant vocals, resonating with earnest ambition, weave all of this together.
Frontman Bee’s impassioned delivery is tinged with a gritty North-East edge as he tells a story of a small-town heart filled with big-town dreams. The mood swings between reflective verses and explosive chorus moments, where Bee sings of escaping confining circumstances and seizing life’s fleeting chances. That the emotional pull of sweeping soundscapes and heady expansiveness underscores tug-.
“Taste To Run” has a cinematic, coming-of-age feel. It’s a song that wears its influences proudly, yet never sounds derivative – think of Stereophonics’ “Dakota,” but reconfigured for a generation that grew up staring out to sea from the North-East shore.
Heading into a busy summer with live dates and a debut EP slated for the autumn, Champ has set a high bar with a statement of intent from a band eager to conquer their horizons. With its warm energy and coastal grit, this is one hometown anthem that could be destined to run far beyond its starting line.
