FEATURE: Spotlight: My First Time — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

My First Time

__________

THIS is the chance to spotlight…

the Bristol Post-Punk band, My First Time. Consisting of Isaac Stroud-Allen (guitar/lead vocals), Jordanna Forsey (drums), James Mellen (guitar/vocals) and Niamh Jones (also known as Naia) (bass/vocals), they have released a string of great singles this year, including Much Better, and Sippy Cup. I want to bring in a few interviews from this year with the band. I will end with a very recent interview from NME. I am going to start off by going back to April, and an interview with DORK. Having met whilst studying at university in Bristol, there is this organic and easy chemistry between the members. DORK found out more about The First Time and music that possesses “raw wit and thunderous hooks to challenge indie pretensions”. Make sure thew quartet are on your radar:

“Their path from campus collaboration to rising force in British alternative music wasn’t exactly pre-plotted. Though as it turns out, those university days weren’t wasted – Isaac’s music business studies would later prove instrumental in securing their record deal. It’s the kind of pragmatic detail that feels perfectly aligned with a band whose new single ‘Much Better’ takes aim at the modern obsession with artistic purity.

Speaking of that latest release, the band pulls no punches in describing its intent: “‘Much Better’ is an anti-music anthem. Stop caring about meaning finding yourself, or the importance of carefully curated art. Start cashing cheques and worm your way into real money.” They continue with delicious irony, “‘Much Better’ is for the social media business gurus that have the solution to complete self-actualisation: COLD HARD CASH.”

This refreshing cynicism comes paired with an equally unvarnished songwriting approach. When asked about his lyrical inspirations, Isaac cuts straight to the marrow: “Anything in the real world. Real world shit… ‘I’m a modern man, I piss with my phone in my hands’. That’s the sort of stuff I’m drawn to. The squeamish, the queasy, the words or pronunciations that make your hair stand up. The grease, the moisture. The hard snap of a belt buckle.”

Their character-based approach to songwriting serves a deeper purpose, too. “It allows you to take a viewpoint that’s rarely shared,” the band explain. “By taking the viewpoint of an arsehole, you can hear just how insane their thoughts really are. It’s like a messed-up therapy session where you’re speaking to a drunken oaf whose mind can’t change. Sometimes, all you can do is respond with an emoji. 🤷‍♂️. Proper deep shit.”

While their early days drew inspiration from Bristol’s politically charged atmosphere – “When we first started out, the likes of Idles (who are Bristol based) were definitely an inspiration in getting into more politically-sided music” – they’ve since evolved toward something more personal. “But now, where we’ve taken the rest of our songs, our inspirations lie more in the areas that shaped us when we were kids.”

That evolution is evident in their creative trajectory. “‘Man of Ill Repute’ and ‘Brand New’ are songs that are over two years old for us. They are some of the first songs we wrote, so releasing stuff like ‘Much Better’ feels much better.” And there’s more where that came from – “So many songs. We’re sweating buckets writing at the moment. New songs in the set, as well. We’re all salivating to release new stuff.”

The band’s ambitions for the future are as unfiltered as their lyrics: “Release lots of new songs, tour, gig and achieve a level of music domination on a global level.” But it’s not all world domination and industry critique – they maintain a charmingly diverse array of outside interests: “Badminton, tennis, Top Trumps, pastries, Dairy Lea Dunkers, Tinder, binge drinking and hanging out with our loved ones”.

I am interested to see where My First Time head. There will be call and demand for a debut album or E.P. It is hard to define their sound in terms of genre. I guess they are more Electro-Punk. I am going to move to Kerrang! and their interview from August. Commending their “impulsive, cutthroat songwriting”, they told Kerrang! about, among other things, their “abrasive lyricism” and “their mystery synth player”. I am really excited to see where the band head. After such a big year, you get the feeling that 2026 will be their most successful year yet. In terms of festival bookings and maybe releasing a full project. They are among the most hyped – and rightfully so – bands in this country:

“Everything about My First Time leaves you ravenous for more. Their witty personalities, their spontaneous songs and even their live show – where a mysterious fifth member known only as “tracksuit man” or “Bez” will often make an appearance on synth for a grand total of one song. It’s not quite Sleep Token or PRESIDENT, but K! goes in search of some answers.

“He drinks a lot backstage,” teases Isaac. “It's quite funny, because he's just by himself for 30 minutes… he’s the brains behind the operation.”

“It's funny that this is his whole bit, [because] he’s a very talented musician. He grew up playing classical piano,” adds James. Will ‘tracksuit man’ play any further part at future shows? You’ll have to come and find out for yourself, warns Naia.

“He's like Father Christmas. If you wish hard enough, he'll be there.”

As they continue to toil away in the studio, My First Time’s key ingredient is to keep surprising themselves, while having as much fun as possible. To sum up this ethos, we need only directly quote Isaac on Bodybag: ‘Don’t be such a square.’

“You don't want to be boring,” urges Isaac, with an imaginary raised eyebrow. “The most important thing, no matter what we're doing, is to never be dull”.

I am going to end with parts of a new interview from NME. If you get to see My First Time live in the future, then they are well worth seeking out. Although the band have been about for a little bit, they have come to mass attention this year, though I still think there are many that have not discovered this incredible band. My First Time met whilst studying in 2021 and have made big strides in a short time. Speaking with My First Time’s vocalist, Isaac Stroud-Allen, around the release of Sippy Cup, there are some interesting takeaways from the interview. This is a band that is going to take over the world soon enough. It is the blend of the cutting-edge and ferocious and the humorous that makes My First Time such a dynamic, fascinating and revered band:

“As much as that fun and humour are a vital part of what My First Time are doing, there’s a vicious fury behind all their music. “Deep down, we are a bitter generation. And for good reason,” says Stroud-Allen. All four band members are in their early twenties and spent a formative part of their youth in COVID-enforced lockdown. “We were constantly lectured about the importance of coming together for a greater purpose. Then we were let out into a world that’s fallen to pieces.”

He continues: “Everything that was seen as important, such as human interaction and togetherness, has seemingly been replaced by people just being fucking horrible to one another.” These frenzied times demand frenzied music. “I want people to come to our shows with an awareness that we are just getting fucked over.“

Although My First Time are comfortable with being known as a ‘political band’, they don’t want to tell people how to think. “There’s so much music, film and art that’s just so beige. If we’re fucked off about something, we’ll put that into a song,” says Mellen. “We are ‘Generation Fucked’ but if you think about that for too long, you just get miserable,” he adds, which is why their live shows are so joyful.

PHOTO CREDIT: Cloe Morrison

“It’s a nice type of escape as well because it’s not so much an ignorance or a neglect for what’s going on, it’s a triumphant acknowledgement that everyone is in on,” adds Jones. “It’s us saying ‘we know how shit this is, but look at how this shit can breed something so positive’.”

“I want people to come to our shows with an awareness that we are just getting fucked over” – Isaac Stroud-Allen

As well as buzzy performances at festivals such as The Great Escape, Dot To Dot and Wilderness, My First Time’s first London headline gig in May saw them pack out Third Man Records, turning its basement into a sweaty mass of bodies. As promised, each of the band’s shows so far has been a frenzy of excitement, catharsis and community. “It’s so validating to see that what we’re building means something to other people,” says Mellen. “We all found community going to gigs when we were younger. It’s sometimes tough to properly explain it, but you do just want to be a part of something”.

My First Time will round off a very busy and successful year I am sure with another song. I think they are probably planning what comes in 2026. There will be summer festival dates and opportunities for them to play internationally. Go and follow this amazing quartet. I am a bit new to them, though I can see myself following them for a long time to come. It is clear that this band live up to all the hype. Such brilliant and original music, this is a band that you cannot…