Welsh 4-piece Dream State must be a bit tired of being asked about the fundamental lineup changes the band went through in 2022. When all but one member of a band departs, it’s a natural focus point for interviewers.  And when a band is on a clear upward trajectory as Dream State were after 2019’s Primrose Path, fans have got to be more than a little worried about the change of direction such an upheaval inevitably brings.

Often described as a “modern post-hardcore” band, they’ve added multiple layers to their sound over the last few years. Jessie Powell’s vocals have given them a harder edge since she joined 4 years ago, drawing on metalcore smooth/scream elements to convey the power and strength of emotion in her hard-hitting lyrics. While they’ve always had a high-energy vibe, they’ve added EDM-infused dark-synth tracks to build a wall of sound guaranteed to get a crowd moving. Cranking things up to 11…

Norwich’s Waterfront Studio is the final stop on a UK headline tour during September that has seen them play venues from Newcastle to Bristol and Brighton. They’ve been supported on various of these dates by newshapes, a 4-piece from Glasgow, and Lonesome from Peterborough, who kick the evening off as the room steadily fills. 

The British post-hardcore scene now seems to span such a wide range of musical styles that it’s starting to feel inadequate to use the name to describe bands like Lonesome and Lastelle who are pushing the boundaries of the genre. Lonesome’s foundations clearly lie in the heavy guitars, complex rhythms and whirling energy of hardcore, but their emotional lyrics, layered, prog-like soundscapes and soaring anthemic choruses give them a contrasting, self-reflective edge. Subjectively, it’s difficult to decide whether their music is better suited to a festival sunset or a cosy armchair with a few whiskeys and a decent pair of speakers. With a range of tracks taken mainly from their 2025 album, In The Hope This Finds You, it sounds gorgeous and the crowd are fully appreciative, but it’s perhaps the wrong type of venue to enjoy their expansive sound to the maximum. 

newshapes have rapidly established themselves as rising stars of the Scottish alt-rock scene. At the heavier end of the alternative spectrum, they sit somewhere between the emotional, alt-rock of Welsh counterparts Holding Absence and the heavier metalcore of compatriots Bleed From Within. Lead singer Ian Mann briefly apologises for “…my accent getting harder to understand the further south I go…” but it’s clear they are taking their duties as a warm up band seriously. The Sunday evening audience has been a little slow to get themselves in the mood, but it’s not long before newshapes’ enthusiasm produces a decent sized pit as the energy levels begin to rise. Playing a selection of songs from their growing back catalogue, they’re clearly capable of taking on venues like this one as headliners themselves. Following release of their short EP, somehow i still believe, in May this year, it surely won’t be too long before a very welcome debut album arrives. Until then, songs like foreverend, and deadweight will continue to fire crowds up whenever they’re in town.

The evening’s headliners are straight into the savage and defiant Still Dreaming. Its driving drum part, melodic synth backing track and powerful vocals are an instant floor filler and there’s no shortage of hands in the air and voices belting out the chorus. Jessie’s powerful lyrics continue into Taunt Me, the band’s first release under the current lineup.

As the set progresses, a number of common themes emerge. From Anxious State of Mind through Day Seeker and on to Bloom and Chin Up Princess, there’s a thrilling energy to their performance. EDM and synth elements sit within well-crafted heavy guitar tracks. Each of the different elements of the songs are nicely integrated and never feel overwhelming in themselves. Day Seeker and Still Dreaming are typical examples: Tom Connelly’s four-to-the-floor footwork and “almost-disco” hi-hat in the choruses drive the song with an infectious urgency, while Jessie’s vocals and Aled Evans’ heavy guitar riffs strike a satisfying soft/hard balance. 

Some of their material is definitely at the poppier end of the heavy spectrum. Vocal tracks are soft with a harder edge, rather than savage – more pop-punk than metalcore. Breakdowns hit hard enough for the crowd to bang their heads, but the energy in the rest of the song makes the pit almost irresistible. And yet there’s a seriousness to their lyrics that lays bare emotional and mental struggles that are hugely relatable. During the instrumental track Set Free, Jessie talks about how joining the band in 2022 has had such a positive effect for her personally, while acknowledging that a lot of people don’t have a way to express the darker, more difficult subjects that her songs deal with.     

Dream State’s music has clearly moved in a different direction since the lineup changes, but not so far that they can’t include some of their older material in the setlist. Hand in Hand and closing track Primrose sound entirely appropriate and will always be fan favourites at gigs. The mix of older and current material makes this a hugely enjoyable show and Dream State deserve to break out from here. They have a talent for making danceable, melodic heavy music which is at home both on the festival circuit and on their headline tours. Their relatable lyrics and honest vulnerability will no doubt continue to gather them an ever-growing fanbase. 

Words and photos by James Mitchell.