Holly Head, the Manchester band with a growing ‘if you know, you know’ status, have released their first track of 2026, ‘No Country is An Island’, a riotous Latin-inspired track with a strikingly relevant political message.
Written in response to the rash of violent anti-immigration protests in the summer of ‘25, ‘No Country is An Island’ questions the motivations of those involved, reasoning that “its been so long you forgot your father’s journey to these shores”. With lyrics that pierce at the heart of the transient British identity and divisive anti-migrant politics, this new track by Holly Head demonstrates that they remain unafraid to engage with heavy political subjects.
To compliment the hard-hitting subject, this single boasts some uncompromising reverbed guitar riffs and pounding percussion, the former at the pleasure of guest guitarist and co-writer Paddy Murphy, of rising Westside Cowboy fame.
Vocalist Joe explains, “The working title for the song was ‘Afrobeat’”. Tones of which are found in its oscillating rhythmic bassline which pushes forward the palpable tension of a track that’s accompanying video flickers between footage of Manchester’s anti-immigrant protests.
The influence of Westside Cowboy is apparent, the track’s title making an implicit reference to the band’s No Band is An Island collective, a project set up in North West England just over a year ago that combines a musical community with fundraising and social activism.
This interest in the interchange between politics, grassroots community, music, and activism establishes Holly Head as one of the foremost voices in a growing musical movement that includes their collaborators for this single but also other notable up-and-coming musicians such as pushbike, Wyatt, and Dove Ellis; all of which have, and continue to, garner well deserved public admiration.
So if a socially conscious community looks just a little like the screeching guitars and feverish vocals of Holly Head’s latest single then count me in, our future looks bright.
The single is released today on streaming with a music video up on YouTube already. A fitting date, just hours ahead of the band’s departure on a national tour, playing at ten venues across the country alongside Westside Cowboy at select dates. Opening at London’s Scala on the 28th of this month, all upcoming Holly Head live dates are as follows:
Wednesday 28 January: London Scala *
Thursday 29 January: Manchester, Gorilla*
Saturday 31 January: Leeds, Regtown
Monday 2 February: Glasgow, King Tuts*
Tuesday 3 February: Leeds, Brudenell*
Wednesday 4 February: Nottingham, Bodega*
Friday 6 February: Bristol, The Exchange*
Saturday 7 February: Brighton, Hope & Ruin*
Sunday 8 February: Oxford, The Bullingdon*
Thursday 19 February: Manchester, Deaf Institute
* with Westside Cowboy.
Holly Head: Instagram | Soundcloud | Youtube
Review by Evan Meikle | Instagram
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