Leazes

Leazes

Leazes are a five-piece alternative indie rock band from Newcastle upon Tyne who have built serious momentum since emerging in 2024. Joe King leads the band on vocals, alongside Sam Dellow and...

September 10, 2026

Leazes are a five-piece alternative indie rock band from Newcastle upon Tyne who have built serious momentum since emerging in 2024. Joe King leads the band on vocals, alongside Sam Dellow and Brandon Campbell on guitar and backing vocals, Ben Sanyamg on bass and backing vocals, and James Wake on drums.

Their sound centres on big, melodic indie songwriting and the kind of energetic live performances that have quickly taken them from North East grassroots rooms to larger stages around the UK. Their growing catalogue includes Melissa In Action, Sun’s Out, I’ve Been Waiting and 2026 single Hers., while support from BBC Introducing and radio has helped push the band to a wider audience.

From Newcastle to the road

Newcastle remains central to Leazes’ identity. The band have sold out headline shows and appeared at BBC Introducing from The Glasshouse, while their 2026 live run has included festivals and major support slots around the country. They have shared stages with acts including Nothing But Thieves, McFly and The K’s, as well as appearing at events including Stockton Calling, Truck Festival, Mouth of the Tyne and Lindisfarne Festival.

A particularly important step came when Leazes joined Sheffield band The Rosadocs on their In Your Company tour in spring 2026. The run put Leazes in front of new audiences in cities outside the North East and gave the band their first sustained experience of travelling and playing consecutive dates together. Speaking to SoundBite North East during the tour, the band said those shows had pushed them to adapt their sets, learn how to win over unfamiliar crowds and raise their own standards on stage.

Faces And Places: first UK headline tour

That progress now feeds directly into Leazes’ next chapter. In September 2026 the band announced Faces And Places, their first UK headline tour. The eight-date November run takes them to Leeds, Scunthorpe, Sheffield, Glasgow, Stockton, London, Manchester and finally back home to Newcastle.

The tour marks a significant step up from the band’s earlier hometown headlines. Confirmed dates include Café INDIEpendent in Scunthorpe on 13 November, The Garage Attic in Glasgow on 15 November, KU Stockton on 20 November and The Deaf Institute in Manchester on 25 November, with the wider run spanning eight UK cities.

For a band whose rise has been closely tied to Newcastle’s grassroots scene, ending their first national headline run back in their home city feels fitting. It also follows a year in which Leazes have moved between their own sold-out shows, national support dates and increasingly prominent festival appearances, giving Faces And Places the feel of a natural next step rather than a sudden jump.

North East connection

Leazes are firmly rooted in Newcastle upon Tyne and continue to make that connection part of the band’s identity as their audience grows beyond the region. Their name itself reflects the places they grew up around, while hometown shows and North East festival appearances remain a key part of their story.

With a growing catalogue, their first UK headline tour and an increasingly busy live schedule, Leazes head into the end of 2026 with considerably more ground covered than the band who first emerged onto Newcastle’s grassroots circuit.