Palace unifies indie rock and blues rock into a single genre that envelopes you like a London fog. Formed in 2012 in the UK by Leo Wyndham, Rupert Turner, Will Dorey, and Matt Hodges, the buzz began after their first gig. “A part of us thought we might be the s***tiest band in the world,” Wyndham revealed to DIY Magazine. “The moment we started playing, we could see it in people’s faces. They liked it.”

Lost in the Night, the band’s 2014 debut EP, set Palace’s cinematic tone in stone. Drenched in reverb, Wyndham’s vocals recall Jeff Buckley. He admits that he’s “obsessed” with the late singer, who opened his eyes — and ears — to performing with all his emotional vulnerabilities on display. He also counts Kurt Cobain and underground singer/songwriter Daniel Johnston as influences.

The 2015 follow-up, Chase the Light, landed Palace more radio play on the BBC. The subsequent full-length albums, So Long Forever and Life After, were somber affairs. Palace recorded Shoals during the pandemic, which brought the band — now a three-piece — even closer together. It also forced Wyndham to confront his own struggles with mental health. “My brain was like a conveyor belt of negative thoughts and a feeling of purposelessness,” he told NME. “When music was taken away, I started to wonder what the f**k my purpose was.” His physical health was deteriorating as well — Wyndham caught COVID-19 while making the album and suffered from inflamed lungs for nine months. Ultimately, the isolation added a new depth to Palace’s music, and it’s one they can’t wait to share with fans. The band has announced plans to tour in the U.S. in late 2022.