Crawlers Creep Across the Atlantic and Into Our Hearts With Acerbic Alt-Rock Romance

This summer, British alt-rock outfit Crawlers had been riding a delicious wave of momentum on a high-profile US tour, opening for Love and Rockets and Jane’s Addiction. While already well-known in the UK, Crawlers are still carving out their place on this side of the Atlantic. This tour was a golden opportunity to infuse the scene with fresh energy from a younger generation, and the band gave ‘carpe diem’ a whole new meaning.

Throughout the tour, Crawlers lit up every stage they stepped on, rapidly amassing enthusiastic new fans with each performance. Audiences were captivated by the electrifying stage presence of lead singer Holly Minto, the fiery riffs of guitarist Amy Woodhall, the steady grooves of bassist Liv May, and the rhythmic force of drummer Harry Breen.

Their sound, a potent mix of aggressive riffs, melodic hooks, and introspective lyrics, draws immediate comparisons to Pixies, PJ Harvey, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and the fierce spirit of Riot Grrrl acts. While echoing their impact, Crawlers are firmly rooted in their generation’s pulse, with powerful, socially-conscious lyrics tackling issues like mental health, toxic relationships, and gender identity. Their sound channels the raw energy of The Breeders, PJ Harvey, and Bikini Kill while drawing favourable comparisons to Wolf Alice and Royal Blood—striking a perfect balance between nostalgia and new blood.

Crawlers released their self-titled debut EP in 2021 to critical acclaim, praised for its dynamic range and the stunning vocal delivery of lead singer Holly Minto. Their breakout single Come Over (Again) became a viral sensation on TikTok, thrusting the band further into the limelight and securing them a deal with Polydor Records.

On September 9, Crawlers took the stage at an intimate NYC performance at Mercury Lounge in the Lower East Side, with Minto commanding the room in an oversized suit, exuding a stage presence every bit as magnetic and intense as Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker. The emotional energy in the venue was palpable, as tears streamed down countless faces while Minto fiercely delivered their blistering anthems. F*** Me (I Didn’t Know How To Say)—a raw and powerful song addressing the aftermath of sexual assault—hit with gut-wrenching intensity, followed by the pure Alanis-esque fury of Come Over (Again), complete with the jaw-dropping chorus that has become the TikTok anthem of a generation.

Take her name out of your mouth

You don’t deserve to mourn

You just love the attention

Or do you get bored?

Backstage, the band buzzed with excitement—giddy, playful, and genuinely thrilled to be playing in New York. Minto eagerly recounted their adventures in the Big Apple, while the rest of the group chimed in with cheeky humor and affectionate banter. Their openness to trying “anything fun” during a rushed photoshoot in a cramped cellar green room showed that their infectious onstage energy was delightfully authentic and grounded.

Crawlers’ performance was one for the ages—the kind of gritty, electric live show that fuels the legends of CBGB and Mudd Club. As the euphoric crowd spilled out into the night, a chorus of excited chatter echoed from the Mercury Lounge to Chrystie Street—six solid blocks of fans reliving the night’s magic. It was a remarkable feat: one of those rare moments when a band’s energy left a lasting hum in Manhattan’s heart.

Photo: Alice Teeple. Taken at Mercury Lounge, NYC

The next night at Pier 17, Crawlers found themselves on a bigger, brasher stage, facing a crowd cut from a different cloth—jaded Gen Xers. The space wasn’t as crammed like the night before, nor was the crowd leaning in close, but that didn’t faze Crawlers. They came out swinging, amplifying their energy to fill the vast expanse, guitars grinding and drums pounding like a freight train barreling down the tracks. Holly Minto was a dynamo, leaping and lunging across the platform, howling with a feral intensity that channeled their inner Iggy Pop, wailing out the words like they were ripped from their soul.

It was a sight to behold—this young band with something to say, a raw spirit in their veins, taking the stage by storm with unyielding exuberance. The photographers in the pit, many new to their sound, clambered over each other, frantically snapping away, trying to bottle the crackles of lightning coursing through the air. Minto moved like a panther on the prowl, eyes sharp, body coiled and ready to strike. The crowd, once distant, began to lean in, drawn by the undeniable energy of a band ready to carve out a new horizon.

After an equally thrilling second act on 11 September, everything came to a crashing halt three days later in Beantown.

Photo: Alice Teeple. Taken at Pier 17, NYC

Much has already been said about Perry Farrell’s troubling condition and the altercation he sparked with Dave Navarro, which led to the cancellation of the Connecticut gig and, after 48 hours of intense turmoil, the rest of the tour.

However, the collateral damage of this sudden end remains largely overlooked: the loss of hundreds of crew jobs, the revenue losses for canceled venues, and the profound disappointment felt by all three bands. The blow was especially hard for Crawlers, who took to Instagram on 16 September with a heartbreaking announcement— without the support from Love and Rockets and Jane’s Addiction, they no longer had the financial means to continue touring the smaller American venues like Mercury Lounge.

In a particularly ironic twist, the stunning debut album that Crawlers were promoting on this tour has the prescient title of The Mess We Seem To Make.

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While this particular incident left no other choice for the other three members of Jane’s Addiction to call things off, ending tours abruptly wield a particularly harsh blow for foreign acts and their crews, who must navigate visa clearances, transportation logistics, high costs, and the everyday challenges of a long journey on another continent. For Crawlers, a band radiating such a unique, fresh energy, it feels especially unfair to have the rug pulled out from under them, putting the band’s US momentum on temporary hold.

The good news is, all four members of Crawlers are optimistic and bursting with ideas. They’ll be just fine- more than fine, they will make a triumphant return to American stages as the phoenixes that rise proudly from the ashes, a blaze of rainbows in their wake.

Hell, they’re just getting started.

Listen to The Mess We Seem To Make below, out now via Polydor Records.

Crawlers were kind enough to talk with Post-Punk.com about their creative process, how social media has played a role in their trajectory, what motivates their creativity, and what they’d like to try next as a band, looking ahead.

Your debut single, “Come Over (Again),” has been a standout hit – this is the song most people here would know. How did the song come together, and what was the inspiration behind its emotional and atmospheric qualities?

Harry: Yeah. that song definitely took off a lot more than we’d expected! Sonically, we’ve always taken a lot of inspiration from Pixies and Smashing Pumpkins in terms of production. A lot of their guitar tones and drums sounds have a perfectly raw quality to them, so we tend to listen to a few of their songs before we start working on a track. In terms of the performance on the record, our producer, Pete, has always made sure to get the best out of us as individual musicians. We wouldn’t be the band we are today if it wasn’t for the push he consistently gives us to record songs like Come Over (Again).

TikTok has played a significant role in boosting your visibility. How has the platform impacted your career, and what doors has it opened for you in terms of reaching new audiences and opportunities?

Harry: It’s definitely responsible for us being able to have a full-time career in the first place. I think the platform has become a great tool for music promotion and giving small artists the chance to find the right audience, but you still need to make sure you’re harnessing that audience by providing them with a meaningful community with your music. It’s no good making viral hits if listeners don’t have a reason to stick around. That’s why you need to keep writing music that holds an emotional weight, rather than just those viral moments.

Songs and artists can go viral on TikTok without people actually finding their way to your discography, that’s how you know there’s more to it than just capturing a viral hit. If you’re fortunate enough for a viral moment to happen to you, don’t keep trying to make it happen again. Not even TikTok knows how its algorithm works. Instead, be grateful for the moment you had and find a way to capitalise on it with meaning and purpose within the community of fans it’s given you.

As a band, what are some of the key ideas or themes you’re currently exploring in your music? How have your recent experiences influenced these creative choices?

Holly: Lyrically, one thing to establish with Crawlers is there is never too much, and that lyrics and poetry should be used as an outlet to speak about one’s truest feelings, whether that be political, or regarding your true inner feelings and intentions. People and listeners react to honesty. My experiences currently are based on self reflection, having moments just to vent utmost feelings, whether that’s through relationships, romantic or otherwise or the whole idea of bending into what society expects of anyone.

What has been the most inspiring or influential experience for you recently, whether it’s a book, film, or personal event? How has this new inspiration started to shape your songwriting or overall sound?

Holly: I think influence comes in all aspects, the zeitgeist at current is moving so much quicker than anything I’ve been used to before, trends being cycled at double the speed than they used to. I think personally, my surroundings are a lot newer to me, I didn’t travel much as a kid, and being able to engage in new cultures daily and evaluate their politics against mine is so thought provoking. I also think the sonics from the U.K right now is so exciting, it just makes me want to pick up a guitar and write even more – seeing artists speaking earnestly with guitar sounds being used to evoke those emotions is so exciting and inspiring.

How do you stay motivated and inspired as a band, especially when working on new material? Are there any specific sources of creativity or practices you find particularly effective in keeping your music fresh and exciting?

Harry: Sometimes time away from songwriting and jamming can do a world of good for you creatively. I think that’s the same for almost all creative endeavours. You can create habits in terms of how you create things, and that can be really good for you. But if you feel like things are going stale then it’s probably because you’ve overused those habits and you need to find a new way of approaching things. Some time away can help you forget those habits and so you can develop new ones the next time you approach something creative. It also gives you the chance to find new inspirations that can spark a new idea that really excites you.

I think creative habits are a big part of being in a band. When you know each other’s playing styles inside and out, you can use that knowledge to inform how you approach musical arrangements. Most of the time you’re not even conscious of how well you know each other musically, but that’s essentially how every band gets their unique sound. But that doesn’t mean it won’t do you some good to have some time off and grow as individual musicians. That way when you next jam together you can show each other all the new stuff you’ve learned. That’s often what will inform your next “direction” when working on a new project.

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Photo: Alice Teeple. Taken at Mercury Lounge, NYC

Crawlers Creep Across the Atlantic and Into Our Hearts With Acerbic Alt-Rock Romance

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