Hartlepool five-piece Marketplace have announced their debut EP, Marketplace Mean Business, dropping June 6th, alongside their energetic new single "Contact Sports". The band’s been making waves in the indie scene lately, and this release marks a significant milestone in their musical journey.
Produced by Chad Rodgers (who’s worked with Benjamin Francis Leftwich and Cape Cub), "Contact Sports" is a bright, guitar-driven track capturing that heart-racing uncertainty of new romance. It’s got this addictive blend of indie, alt-pop, and rock influences that’ll have you hitting repeat. Frontwoman Evie Rhodes says the track explores those early relationship stages where you’re trying to convince yourself it’s nothing serious – y’know, that whole "just keeping it casual" thing we’ve all been through.
The band draws inspiration from Alvvays, Declan McKenna, Pulp, and Talking Heads – pretty solid influences if you ask me. Marketplace—consisting of Rhodes, Joel O’Beirne (vocals/bass), Jack Purcell (guitar), Matthew Short (synth/vocals), and Ross Dixon (drums)—have managed to fuse their individual styles into something that feels both familiar and refreshingly original. Their sound has this scrappy, sincere quality that reminds me of The Beths, but with their own unique twist.
