Words by Rose Newmark

As part of their first concert series of 2026, Scottish indie rock band The Snuts travelled down to Oxford for a sold-out gig at the O2 Academy. The occasion for this spring tour is to plug the band’s new single, Summer Rain, in anticipation of their upcoming fourth album, hopefully to be released later this year. The album will tackle more personal themes, which is why I think the band has connected so deeply with fans on this tour.

Folk-punk five-piece Brògeal kicked the night off with their upbeat tunes and funky instruments, including an accordion and a banjo, really building up the energy for the long-awaited Snuts set.

Photo by Rose Newmark

The Snuts got straight into it with their 2024 hit Gloria, the perfect start to a rollercoaster of a night. They then went back in time to their first proper singles, Seasons and All Your Friends. Can you believe 2018 was 8 years ago?! I can’t. But, fast forward to the present with the band’s latest release Summer Rain, a moving song that deals with heavier themes such as post-natal depression. The rest of the setlist was sprinkled with exciting peeks of unreleased tracks like Motherlands and Get Up, Get Out, as well as fan favourites such as Glasgow, an almost tangibly nostalgic song that was met with a massive cheer from the audience. The band played Glasgow last time they were in Oxford – according to frontman Jack Cochrane, “it’s a song that keeps coming back”. And for good reason, too! It feels like the final scene in a coming-of-age movie.

The crowd was full of a youthful, rowdy energy, shouting along with every song, some even getting up on each other’s shoulders! Another set highlight was Circles, which Jack preceded with telling the audience how their 2024 album, Millennials, didn’t live up to expectations of being a huge success. “But,” he continued, “if you do something and you love it, f**k everybody else and keep doing it!”

As the concert was coming to an end, the band played Defibrillator and exited the stage, although the crowd could feel an encore coming (something Jack joked was “really f**king stupid. Why do bands do that?”). I finally got to hear my favourite Snuts song, Hallelujah Moment, the first of theirs I discovered, on the Radio 1 Indie Show back in 2022 – how far they’ve come! The band closed out an incredible set with their most popular track, Always. You could feel a sense of togetherness in the room.

If you can, I would highly recommend catching them on their stellar lineup of festivals this summer, including TRNSMT and Y Not!

Photos by Rose Newmark