Formed in Stockton on Tees in 2007, Young Rebel Set forged influence from modern singer-songwriter artists such as Springsteen, Dylan, Ashcroft and Cash to deliver hard-hitting indie sounds. The band rapidly gained a cult following, with audiences around the UK and Europe drawn in by their raw, edgy sound and captivating lyrical portrayals of heartbreak and hedonism.
The early days of YRS are best described as ‘beautifully messy’. The band toured the UK and Europe, leaving a trail of drunken escapades and raucous, chaotic gigs in their wake. After signing to Ignition Records in 2011, they released their debut album, Curse Our Love, an exhilarating and introspective ride through modern indie-folk, replete with harmonicas and crooning about lost loves. After their debut was warmly received by fans and industry figures alike, they followed up with 2013’s Crocodile. While there was progression in the music, with the album’s sound more mellow and distilled than that of their debut, the band had lost none of their trademark intensity.
Despite continuing to tour and having a spate of new songs in the works for a potential 3rd album, the band went on a hiatus from 2015. Lead singer Matty Chipchase continued to push on, and convinced his old bandmates to get back together for a set of reunion gigs in 2019. But it was here that tragedy struck, as Matty passed away before the band were to take to the stage again.
It was a devastating turn of events, and the reunion was put on hold. In spite of the tragic loss of their talisman, YRS continued to live on in the hearts and minds of their fans, and especially in those of Matty’s former bandmates. In September 2024, the original members reconvened for a memorial night marking Matty’s 40th birthday at the venue where the band was first founded, reeling off all of the old favourites in front of a packed-out crowd. It was an emotional evening, and one that lit a spark in three of the founding members - Andy Parmley, Chris Parmley and Luke Evans - to reignite the YRS flame.
The band released a 5-track EP 'SUN' in August 2025 which held the band's classic timeless influences now merged with a new, more forward-thinking sound, with airplay BBC Introducing, and Steve Lamacq's Radio 6 Music's show, A 12-date tour of Germany followed in September 2025 with a string of sold-out dates across the country, and their comeback year was topped off with two sold-out hometown shows to over 1000-strong crowds in November 2025.
As of Spring 2026, the band are writing and demoing for the long -awaited release of Album 3, and fans can expect to hear never-before-released material in what is a continuation, rather than a retelling, of the YRS story, and one that seeks to add another, more positive chapter to the band’s history.