Keyside Ready to Make Their Mark at Neighbourhood Weekender 2026 - Interview with All Music Magazine UK
- Desh Kapur
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
Interview by Desh Kapur (All Music Magazine UK)
With Neighbourhood Weekender 2026 fast approaching, Liverpool indie risers Keyside are stepping onto one of the region’s biggest stages yet. The youthful four-piece have been steadily building momentum with their jangled, emotionally direct sound — a modern take on Merseyside storytelling that blends personal snapshots of 21st-century Britain with festival-ready hooks. As they prepare for their debut appearance at the Warrington weekender, All Music Magazine UK caught up with frontman Dani - Lee to talk first festivals, influences, new music and why they’ll be bringing pure, unfiltered Keyside energy to the field.
Desh Kapur:
All right, thanks for taking the time to chat. First off, congratulations on playing Neighbourhood Festival. You must be pretty excited about that?
Dani - Lee
Yeah, I can’t wait, man. Neighbourhood’s going to be a belter for us.
Desh:
Is it your first time playing Neighbourhood?
Dani - Lee
It is, yeah. First time for us.
Desh:
So being your first time, what do you want to get across to people? How would you describe Keyside to someone seeing you for the first time?
Dani - Lee
I’d say Keyside’s got a youthful sound — very festival-ready music. We’re an indie band, and I think we suit the Saturday lineup really well.
Desh:
You’ve got that classic Liverpool jangle in there — I don’t want to box you in, because you do sound like Keyside — but there are elements of Cast, maybe even The Beatles in what you do. Would you agree?
Dani - Lee
Yeah, definitely. “La's” is a big one for us. And The Beatles — you can’t escape them in Liverpool, can you? They’re always going to be an influence. But yeah, they’re definitely big inspirations.
Desh:
So how did Neighbourhood come about? Did you apply, or did they get in touch?
Dani - Lee
They got in touch with us.
Desh:
That must’ve been a buzz.
Dani - Lee
Yeah, massive. It’s one of those festivals that’s huge for the region. There are some boss bands on that day as well — Kaiser Chiefs and that — so it’s exciting to be part of it.
Desh:
It’s a big day, that one.
Dani - Lee
Yeah, I’ll be going mad for Kaiser Chiefs!
Desh:
Let’s talk about your songs. They feel immediate and honest. Lyrically, where does that come from?
Dani - Lee
A lot of the songs are story-heavy. There are elements of my life in there, written into characters. That’s why there are a lot of names in my songs — it’s usually me getting something off my chest about my own experiences.
There’s stuff about mental health, about speaking to people about your issues. There are songs touching on drug abuse, seeing people struggle and deteriorate. I’d say the whole Keyside world is like a snapshot of 21st-century Britain — or Liverpool, specifically.
Desh:
And how does the songwriting process work for you? Do you bring a finished idea into rehearsal, or build it as a band?
Dani - Lee
Mostly I’ll write at home on an acoustic guitar in my bedroom. That’s where the bones of the song come from.
Then I’ll take it into the rehearsal room and everyone adds their parts — bass, guitars, drums — and that’s when it really comes to life.
Desh:
You mentioned The Beatles and The La’s earlier. Who else inspires you — either historically or right now?
Dani - Lee
Bob Dylan was massive for lyrics. Eminem as well when I was growing up — both incredible storytellers.
Right now, bands like Fontaines D.C. are huge. Blossoms too.
Desh:
Any newer bands you’ve seen that people might not know yet?
Dani - Lee
Yeah, there’s a band called The Sheratons — they’re a great up-and-coming band. I think they’re originally from Lancashire but based in Leeds now. Definitely one to watch.
Desh:
Playing a festival is different to playing your own headline show — especially when there’ll be a lot of people who don’t know you yet. Do you approach that differently?
Dani - Lee
No, we’ll just be ourselves. I’ve had people say before, “Tone your accent down a bit when you’re playing outside Liverpool,” but I’m not doing that. I’ll just be myself. Same for Neighbourhood — we’ll show up and be pure.
Desh:
What other festivals have you played?
Dani - Lee
We’ve done a few. The first big one was Isle of Wight, which was a mad one to start with. We’ve done Ynot, Sound City and a few others too.
Desh:
You’re playing Sound City again this year, right?
Dani - Lee
Yeah, on the 2nd of May.
Desh:
What’s next after Neighbourhood? Any new music or plans for the year?
Dani - Lee
There’s definitely new music coming and more shows lined up. Nothing announced just yet, but there’s stuff in the pipeline.
Desh:
And what’s out there already for people to check out?
Dani - Lee
We’ve got about 12 songs on Spotify at the minute. Still early days, but tracks like “Angeline” and “Runaway” are good places to start. You can find us on Spotify, iTunes, YouTube — all the usual places.
Desh:
Are you thinking singles, EP, album?
Dani - Lee
The songs out so far came in EP form, but moving forward it’ll probably be singles for now.
Desh:
Finally, what kind of atmosphere are you hoping to create at Neighbourhood?
Dani - Lee
Just a sense of carelessness — in a good way. I want people to switch off, have a laugh, have a drink, enjoy the weather and the music. Turn your phone off and just live in it for a bit.
Desh:
Brilliant. I’ll be down the front taking photos and we’ll get this up in the magazine soon. Thanks for your time.
Dani - Lee
Nice one, mate. Thank you.
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