Pretentious

Pretentious are a three-piece alternative rock band from Hartlepool, with a sound that leans into melody as much as guitar weight. Influences including Pixies, Weezer and Green Day can be heard in the mix of alternative-rock riffs, sudden changes in pace and vocal harmonies.

Songs such as More or Less and Straight Into the Dark show the band making the most of a compact guitar-bass-drums setup without forcing every track into the same shape. That gives Pretentious room to move between sharper punk-influenced moments and more melodic alternative rock.

The band continue to appear on North East bills, including The Forum Music Centre’s Live and Local series in Darlington. Those regional shows have helped Pretentious build beyond their Hartlepool base while remaining closely tied to the grassroots circuit that first gave the band its audience.