FEW people in the UK will travel further to this year’s Neighbourhood Weekender than one of this year’s most exciting acts.

Caithness indie stars Neon Waltz are bringing their songs from the top of northern Britain to Victoria Park on Sunday (6:45pm on the Viola Beach (third) stage).

Lead singer Jordan Shearer, drummer Darren Coghill, guitarists and brothers Kevin and Jamie Swanson, bassist Calvin Wilson and keyboardist Liam Whittles are no strangers to travelling long distances to take their sound around the country.

Even their biggest homecoming show so far in Inverness in May was more than two hours from home.

However, time on the road isn’t holding them back. It has already been a packed 2018 for the John O’Groats and Wick six-piece, who often team-up with musician Callum Easter for tours.

They’ve wowed fans across Britain with their own headline tour, won national radio airplay with their timeless, optimistic EP title track Bright Me to Light, and played to thousands supporting Neighbourhood Weekender main stage stars The Sherlocks, including at a sold out show at Manchester’s 3,500 capacity Victoria Warehouse.

Earlier this month, at Sound City in Liverpool they joined Australian indie stars DMA’S, who are also coming to Warrington this weekend.

Neon Waltz’s captivating debut album, Strange Hymns, which features songs Dreamers and Perfect Frame, was released in August, but it had been a long time coming as Jordan explained.

“We’d tried a lot of producers, but we soon realised what we were looking for, especially on numbers like Sombre Fayre and Veiled Clock, was already captured on our demos which only needed re-mixing.”

Ending their contract with Atlantic Records to join Ignition, the band finished the final four songs at Echo studios in Eastbourne. “They were passionate about our sound and said they wouldn’t charge us if it wasn’t right” said Jordan.

Now, once again, new music is keeping the lads busy.

“There’s definitely been a natural progression in our writing, although because we live and breathe it every day, we don’t always realise,” says Jordan.

“It’s only when you return to a demo after sometime away that you notice what’s changed."

The lead singer says their new songs have a darker sound than Strange Hymns and that the band is well placed for producing their second album.

“We’ve all grown up a bit since we wrote our first record. We’re confident to do things on own terms now and that freedom is coming through in our music” he explains.

Everyone brings ideas to rehearsals, held either at a remote windswept dwelling called The Croft owned by Darren’s family, an arts centre in John O’Groats or at Freswick Castle, a place dear to the lads’ heart and where they shot the video for their beautifully haunting single Schoolhouse.

“Writing can get stale if you’re in the same place all the time, so we like a change of scenery,” says Jordan.

The group are good pals with Stockport band Blossoms who play the Neighbourhood Weekender main stage on Sunday. Earlier this year Tom Ogden and Joe Donovan braved snow to watch Neon Waltz’s headline show in London in February.

A week later Tom wore one of the band’s’ T-Shirt while a guest on Soccer AM.

“We haven’t checked yet, but we’re hoping that Tom’s endorsement leads to a spike in our merchandise sales,” laughed Jordan.

Neon Waltz play the Viola Beach (third) stage 6:45pm at Neighbourhood Weekender, Victoria Park, Warrington on Sunday.

More on what else the band are up to at neonwaltz.com

By Richard Derbyshire