Ben Quad Plus Riley

The story of Ben Quad is punctuated by moments of randomness: a chance meeting via Craigslist, bonding over bands like Microwave and Modern Baseball. An out-of-nowhere name drop from indie tastemaker Ian Cohen lauding their debut album, 2022’s I’m Scared That’s All There Is. A one-off sonic curveball that somehow turned into their biggest song – and, without them realising it at the time, a brand-new freedom to reinvent themselves. It’s taught them to thrive inside the unpredictable, to harness a no-limits musical mentality and self-effacing sense of humour and turn it into some of the most resonant, captivating emo of today. Well, actually, post-emo. That shift in perspective carries directly into the subject matter of their 2025 record, Wisher. In stark contrast to the heavy existential questions the band posed on I’m Scared That’s All There Is, the songs here aren’t about survival but rather savouring life’s small victories – the moments that might not feel like much at the time but can snowball into something bigger if you only allow yourself to find the joy in them. In many ways, it’s much like Ben Quad themselves, their own story built on a string of seemingly minor twists of fate that’s only been amplified by a relentless DIY attitude and instinct to chase every idea, no matter how improbable. Where will this story take them next? Well, to their very first London headline show, for one thing. The twist? YOU’RE going to be there, so just go ahead and M Night Shyamalan that buy tickets button