The Tubs

The Tubs are an indie rock band from southeast London, formed in 2018 by Owen Williams and George Nicholls after their previous group, Joanna Gruesome, quietly folded. Their sound splices R.E.M.-style guitar jangle and Hüsker Dü bluntness with a persistent British folk undertow; Williams' chest voice - frequently compared to Richard Thompson's - carries lyrics about OCD, romantic collapse, and the grinding realities of playing music in London with characteristic bleak wit. Their 2023 debut Dead Meat earned praise from Pitchfork, The Guardian, MOJO, and SPIN, establishing the band as one of indie rock's sharper prospects. The 2025 follow-up Cotton Crown extended the palette into sophisto-pop and soulful pub rock without losing the essential spikiness.