The Generation – When I Tell You (2026)
A force in the independent live music scene back in the 1980s, The Generation brought raucous energy, intriguing presence, and a new brand of punky pop – the Wowwerpop style – to the audiences of yesteryear. Yet, they never released recorded music, so when The Generation faded away, so did their music; a celebrated memory for those who once saw them perform. Today, after 30 years locked in a dusty basement, The Generation’s demos are revived, mastered, and available to international audiences. The debut single is ‘When I Tell You’
Taken from the band’s upcoming first album, Songs From Our Upbringing, ‘When I Tell You’ is a true blast from the past. Reminiscent of The Beach Boys and The Beatles, a jangle-pop flavour oozes in the bright, upbeat guitars and the bold drums in the background. Warm and charming, this song is made for sunny days, epic road trips, and moments of joy – feelings that The Generation capture in the three-minute Wowwerpop. The honey-soaked vocals are rich, warm and comfortable, enhancing that sensation of lifting a weight off your shoulders with refreshing breaths.
One aspect I find intriguing about ‘When I Tell You’ is its nostalgic sentiment. Instead of being mastered into a contemporary blast of sophisticated music, there is a vintage rub. The slight hiss, the notably old-school analogue vibe, and the hush of those tape cassette times when things were raw, vulnerable and real. In a word, that’s what ‘When I Tell You’ and The Generation are: real.
It’s always a great deal of fun to find independent artists with gems of unsigned original material; knowing something’s cool before it becomes cool. Then, you have those moments when time capsules of intriguing music hit you in the face as lost gems; finding music that was already out there but comes back to sparkle. This lost gem takes shape in The Generation’s ‘When I Tell You’.
Find out more about The Generation on their Instagram, Bandcamp and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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