With their new single “Before My Eyes,” rising teenage indie-rock outfit The Radio Addicts prove exactly why they’re being hailed as “Manchester’s next generation of Rock & Roll stars.” The track, taken from their completely sold-out debut vinyl EP MMXXV, captures everything that has set this young band on fire since forming in 2024: urgency, emotion, swagger, and the kind of raw hunger that can’t be manufactured.
From the opening bars, “Before My Eyes” bursts forward with anthemic guitars, melodic grit, and a soaring chorus designed for festival stages and packed venues. Produced by Andy Dawson at DOA Studios, the single strikes that perfect balance between indie-rock sheen and rough-edged live energy. Influences echo throughout — touches of The Killers, Catfish and the Bottlemen, The Libertines, and even hometown heroes The Buzzcocks — but the band’s youthful spark and sincerity make the track unmistakably their own.
Lyrically, the song is a thoughtful reflection on how quickly life moves. Frontman Luke Cardwell delivers the standout line “one day you’re born now the next day you’re 41” with both nostalgia and urgency. It’s a theme that hits especially hard coming from a teenage band already experiencing a whirlwind rise. Luke explains that the song touches on love, growing up, family struggles, responsibilities, and the fear of missing life’s important moments — but at its core, it’s about chasing dreams. And that’s exactly what The Radio Addicts are doing with remarkable intensity.
Live, “Before My Eyes” has already become a fan favourite and often opens their sets, setting the tone for the chaos, charisma, and connection that follow. Luke’s onstage presence — often compared to Robbie Williams and his hero Thom Rylance from The Lottery Winners — gives the song an electric charge. It’s the kind of track people scream back at the band, which explains why supporters have been begging for its release.
The Radio Addicts’ momentum over the past year has been staggering. Their debut single “Scroll My Life Away’’ earned international airplay and a completely sold-out tour. Their EP MMXXV sold out four months before release, becoming a collector’s item almost instantly. Headline shows continue to sell out months ahead of time — including a Manchester City Centre gig advertised as “Manchester’s Next Gen Rock & Roll Stars,” which sold out in just seven days.
2025 has been full of surreal milestones too: playing on stage with The Lottery Winners, meeting Bruce Springsteenbackstage, a secret acoustic set at Kendal Calling, and front-page features in The Manchester Evening News and The Bolton News. All of this has built an unstoppable sense of anticipation around whatever they release next.
“Before My Eyes” is more than a second single — it’s a statement of intent. A rallying cry. Proof that The Radio Addicts aren’t just another teenage guitar band; they’re a phenomenon growing louder by the month. It’s indie rock and roll played like their lives depend on it — because to them, it genuinely does. The Radio Addicts aren’t just catching fire. They’re becoming the spark.
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