If there’s one new act poised to jolt the boyband panorama awake once more, it’s Absnt Thoughts – a five-piece collective rewriting what it means to be a pop group in 2025.
Mixing razor-sharp melodies with emotive-driven alt-pop manufacturing, the band has constructed a status for turning teenage angst, late-night confessionals, and stadium-ready hooks into one thing that feels each intimate and anthemic.
Absnt Thoughts – Wardrobe (Official Music Video)
Recent off a profitable run of summer time exhibits, and a string of single releases which have despatched their streaming numbers into orbit, band members Alex, Ashton, Conor, Freddie and Oscar step into our interview with the simple chemistry of a bunch that’s lived plenty of life collectively in a brief period of time. They’re playful, targeted, and – regardless of the whirlwind surrounding them – strikingly self-aware.
In a second when the world is hungry for sincerity and spectacle in equal measure, Absnt Thoughts could be the uncommon band able to delivering each. We sat down with the 5 rising stars to speak artistic dangers, rising up on-line, and the dizzying actuality of discovering their place within the world pop machine.
2025 feels to have been an actual breakthrough for you – a yr the place you’ve actually come into your personal, and solidified your id as a band. Do you’re feeling extra established now, and extra assured in who you’re as Absnt Thoughts?
Alex: Undoubtedly. After we first acquired collectively it took us some time to search out our id and sound as a band, however that’s solely often because we had been 5 people – from very completely different musical backgrounds – coming collectively, with no actual concept of what we had been doing (laughs). These first couple of group songwriting periods within the studio had been… attention-grabbing! However I feel we’ve blended our particular person types collectively very well, and now we’re making music that feels actually particular.
How do you suppose your strategy to creating music has modified and developed over the past 12 months?
Ashton: It’s laborious to say actually, as a result of I don’t suppose we’ve ever labored to a set components. Each time we go right into a session, we by no means actually know what’s going to occur, and I type of like that, it makes issues extra thrilling!
Oscar: We don’t all the time write collectively as a 5 as a result of that may be kinda chaotic… we learnt that early on (laughs).
Freddie: Like Alex stated, we’ve made a aware effort to mix collectively all of our completely different musical influences to create this large, eclectic Absnt Thoughts sound. However when it comes to how we write and create our songs, I assume it simply is determined by what temper we’re in, and what we’re feeling impressed by.
Ashton: Completely – inspiration can come from wherever and all over the place, and that then form of dictates how we work. Personally, I really feel like we’re solely simply scratching the floor of what we’re able to! Up so far we’ve been actually targeted on honing in on that cool, edgy pop sound, however shifting ahead I need us to push the boundaries even additional! There’s a lot extra to come back for us music-wise; I can’t wait to get again within the studio subsequent yr.
How necessary is artistic possession to you, particularly with regards to writing your personal materials?
Conor: It’s crucial. We completely love writing music – it’s one thing all of us actually having fun with doing, even once we’re not working.
Freddie: It’s a manner for us to specific ourselves isn’t it?
Alex: Yeah, and I feel it’s necessary that we write about topics and matters that our followers can relate to.
Conor: Undoubtedly! It’s about making a connection isn’t it? The messages in our songs wouldn’t land in the identical manner in the event that they didn’t come from us, and our sound wouldn’t be as cohesive as it’s, if we didn’t have any artistic enter. Don’t get me improper, if somebody sends us an absolute banger, then we’re gonna file it and have enjoyable performing it, however I feel all of us like placing music on the market that’s private to us.
Ashton: Authenticity is essential!
Conor: As songwriters, we’ve actually come into our personal within the final couple of years, and that exhibits within the materials we’re producing now. We all know our strengths, each as a band and as people, and due to that, there’s type of no stopping us.
With 5 voices and 5 views shaping Absnt Thoughts, how do you retain everybody creatively fulfilled with out dropping the thread of what the band stands for?
Oscar: That’s a extremely attention-grabbing query! I feel it simply comes right down to respecting every of our wants, in addition to us all naturally sharing the identical imaginative and prescient for what we would like our band to be. All of us have very completely different roles throughout the group – and we’ve found these roles naturally over time. We all know our voices, we all know mix, and we all know what works greatest for us. A few of us are higher at writing lyrics, a few of us are higher at developing with melodies – like Conor stated, we play to our strengths. There’s no ego in our band, we would like one another to win.
Ashton: Generally the writers and producers we’re working with play an element in serving to us to search out that stability. Shout out to Kamille – she is superb! She actually took the time to hear, and perceive what we had been about. We bashed out 5 songs in our session together with her, and I actually suppose that’s as a result of she made a degree of attending to know us earlier than we began writing collectively. We love Kamille!
Absnt Thoughts – STITCH (Official lyric visualiser)
Your newest single ’Sew’ is an absolute BOP! Speak to me concerning the origins of that observe…
Freddie: We really wrote ’Sew’ with JC Stewart and Anya Jones manner again once we wrote ‘No Strings’, so we’ve had it locked away within the vault for a minute!
Alex: As quickly as we heard the completed model, we felt like we’d created one thing actually particular. But it surely didn’t actually match with the sound we had been going for on the time. We had songs like ‘Daylight’ and ‘No Strings’, which we thought had been actually good introductory singles, however ’Sew’ felt extra like an announcement we needed to make once we had been a bit extra established.
Connor: Everybody we performed it to beloved it, and we’ve been determined to place it out, however generally you need to anticipate the correct second to launch a tune.
Freddie: Initially we thought it ought to come out in the summertime, however then as a result of it has extra of an autumnal, Christmassy vibe to it, so we thought we’d wait and present it to our followers as a thanks for all of their help this yr.
The response to it on-line has been off the dimensions!
Ashton: Proper? The response has been superb! It’s all the time nerve-wracking placing out new music, particularly when it’s completely different to what you’ve launched previously, however the followers appear to actually find it irresistible, so we’re tremendous completely happy! I feel there’s been a bit of little bit of a shift when it comes to what individuals are anticipating from us, since we dropped ‘Simpatico’ in the summertime, as a result of that tune is completely completely different to something we’ve ever launched. We’ve all the time stated one of the simplest ways to explain our sound is to think about what it might be like if Prince and The 1975 had a child (laughs). I feel that’s what these two tracks (’Sew’ and ‘Simpatico’) signify.
Oscar: We’re simply buzzing that it’s doing so effectively and that folks prefer it.
Two years into your profession, how do you measure and outline the success of a tune now?
Freddie: I feel for us it’s all concerning the followers, and in the event that they’re having fun with what we’re doing, then we’re completely happy – we belief them… and their style! Clearly streaming numbers are necessary, and that’s how lots of people measure a songs impression now, however you may’t get too caught up in all of that. So yeah, simply realizing that different individuals are having fun with what we’re doing, that appears like success to us.
Alongside your run of headline exhibits, you additionally performed some fairly massive pageant gigs this summer time. Is touring and performing stay one in all your favorite components of being within the band?
Oscar: One. Hundred. %! All of us find it irresistible a lot! There’s plenty of laborious work and behind the scenes stuff that goes into being in a band like ours, and it’s not all the time fairly (laughs). But it surely’s so price placing within the hours and grafting, as a result of you realize, in case you’re fortunate, you’ll find yourself performing stay on a stage someplace in entrance of hundreds of individuals – and nothing beats that feeling!
Ashton: Connecting with a stay viewers is superb! You’ll be able to speak to folks on-line, and kind a connection together with your followers that manner, and that’s cool, we love that – massive up the Absntees who’re holding us down on-line! However assembly them in actual life, in actual time, and seeing first hand that what we do means one thing to them – that’s unbelievable!
With so many exhibits beneath your belt, which performances have meant probably the most to you?
Oscar: This summer time we did a gig at Piece Corridor in Halifax, which is a venue not too removed from the place I grew up, so all my household and associates acquired to come back right down to see us which was fairly epic! The entire present felt like a dream – we had been encompass by all of this Romanesque structure, the gang had been superb, the solar was setting… it was an incredible night time for us.
Conor: We had been supporting Olly Murs weren’t we? These gigs had been unbelievable! He’s such a beautiful, pretty man! We stayed to look at his present a couple of instances, and it was sensible!
Ashton: I used to be dwelling out my childhood; Olly’s acquired some bops! I’ve gotta shout out the Sugababes – we opened up for them too, and had the most effective time!
Conor: We performed Brighton Delight as effectively this summer time which was psychological – that present went off!
Ashton: Generally it’s the gigs the place issues go improper that turn out to be probably the most memorable! I can’t bear in mind the place we had been, however one night time I utterly forgot the working order of our present, and mainly ended up re-ordering the entire setlist…
Conor: I nonetheless can’t consider you probably did that – you had been simply off in your personal world (laughs).
Oscar: We did college excursions again within the day, and there was one time I smacked my head on the door as we walked into the corridor the place we had been performing! The entire class simply began wetting themselves! It was humorous I assume… but additionally actually embarrassing.
I assume the great thing about being in a band is that you simply all the time have one another to lean on when issues go improper…
Oscar: (Laughs) precisely!
Freddie: It’s mad as a result of rising up I by no means actually dreamed about being in a boy band, I simply needed to sing, so thought I’d possibly simply do the solo factor. However realizing what I do know now, and seeing how the trade works, I’m so glad I’ve this lot round me, as a result of fascinated by doing all of this by myself freaks me out massive time!
Ashton: Yeah, we’re undoubtedly fortunate to have one another.
It’s apparent how shut you all are. How do you retain that connection robust?
Freddie: The entire expertise of being within the band has bonded us in a manner that no one else can actually perceive, so naturally we simply get one another. However communication is clearly actually necessary.
Alex: As a result of we stay collectively, we’ve got the time to take a seat and chat about issues and see how we’re all feeling. We’re clearly completely different folks, however with regards to the band all of us have the identical objectives, and issues we need to obtain. We rejoice our wins and we assist one another recover from any disappointments.
Oscar: When anyone wants a serving to hand or a shoulder to cry on, we’re there for one another 100%.
Absnt Thoughts – Particular (Official Music Video)
You’ve managed to create a extremely particular rapport together with your viewers, to the purpose the place they actually do really feel like they’re part of your tribe. How necessary is utilizing social media as a instrument to take care of that relationship?
Oscar: I feel social media is a superb instrument to need to help your wider imaginative and prescient and goals, and sure it’s nice that we will join with our followers on apps like Instagram and TikTok, however nothing will ever beat the stay expertise. We love assembly our followers, and interacting with them in particular person.
Connor: It’s a extremely, actually good instrument to have to assist unfold the phrase about what we’re doing, and it’s an excellent method to present the entire the Absntees what we’re as much as on a regular basis, however yeah, like Oscar says, it’s a lot better to fulfill everybody IRL. It’s mad how issues have modified isn’t it? As a result of in case you suppose again to how the trade was once, it was all about getting your self on TV, your image in {a magazine} and your tune performed on the radio – that was actually the one method to let folks know what you had been doing. And the one method to see a band carry out stay was to purchase a ticket to one in all their exhibits. Artists needed to go on the market, and persuade folks to do this! Then that they had one alternative to attach with a few hundred folks in an evening, earlier than the entire promo cycle started once more. Now, due to expertise, we’ve got the flexibility to attach with tens of millions of individuals around the globe from the consolation of our houses, just about every time we would like… that’s type of loopy isn’t it?
Your identify was born out of feeling overwhelmed – from examination stress to the strain of regularly being on-line – and also you’ve made it a mission to encourage your followers to free their minds and stay within the second. How do you practise that yourselves?
Ashton: Ooh, that’s deep… I feel it’s actually necessary to sit back and take day out for your self. Everyones lives are so busy and hectic, we’re all continually on the go 24/7, so generally we don’t even realise we’re feeling sad or unhappy about one thing as a result of there’s a lot occurring to distract us. Speaking to family and friends all the time helps – to say one thing out loud might be liberating, to anybody studying this, please don’t ever really feel like you may’t specific your self. Music can also be an amazing outlet for us to cope with something heavy we’ve got occurring – it helps us to flee. I can’t say an excessive amount of about it, however we’ve really written a extremely cool tune with Jamie Squire from The 1975 about this…
Conor: I’m fortunate I suppose, as a result of I discover it fairly straightforward to open up and discuss how I’m feeling, however I do know that’s not the case for everybody. It’s scary to speak about your feelings, however what I’ve form of come to understand is that plenty of the time, we’re all feeling frightened and anxious about the identical issues. So I do know that if I’m battling one thing, there’s a excessive chance another person will probably be too. I feel it’s necessary to do not forget that.
Freddie: It may be fairly hectic and chaotic dwelling in Absnt Thoughts world (laughs) so having an excellent help system round us helps. We’re fortunate to have one another and to work with an amazing workforce of individuals.
Oscar: Since beginning the band, we’ve all moved from our hometowns to London, which has undoubtedly introduced us all nearer collectively, we all know we will lean on every for something and the whole lot.
Alex: Taking a breather, and doing one thing that I actually get pleasure from all the time helps me mentally – whether or not that be listening to music, writing down some lyric concepts, and even acting on stage.
Speaking of being on stage, you’ve acquired a few exhibits developing earlier than Christmas…
Conor: Sure! So we’re doing two nights at The Grace in London, and we can not wait! They’re really going to be our final exhibits of the yr, so we’ll be giving it hundreds on stage. I’ve heard nice issues concerning the venue so I’m actually excited to carry out there.
Freddie: Anybody coming alongside can anticipate good vibes, good music… possibly even some new music, and plenty of enjoyable. I’m actually trying ahead to it, I can’t wait to see the followers!
And earlier than that you simply’re going to Japan!
Freddie: I’m so enthusiastic about this journey! Going to Japan has been on my bucket record eternally, so I really feel like I’ve manifested this.
Oscar: It’s loopy that we’re going! After I was youthful I all the time stated I needed to stay there I can’t say I knew rather a lot concerning the nation itself, however I’ve all the time been fascinated by the folks and their tradition. I’m so excited.
Your music clearly resonates deeply with listeners, and the unwavering help of your followers exhibits simply how a lot the band means to so many individuals. Because the 5 people who make up this group, what does being a part of Absnt Thoughts imply to every of you?
Ashton: You’re gonna make us emotional… (laughs).
Freddie: Being part of this trade is one thing we’ve all needed since we had been youngsters – so to be really doing it’s mad! We’re grateful, we’re actually, actually grateful to be on this band.
Conor: For me, assembly the fellows has made the whole lot about my life ten instances higher as a result of I do know I’ve all the time acquired somebody in my nook supporting me. The one factor all of us have in widespread is our love for music – I feel it actually unites each us, and our followers, and I like that we’re ready to do this as Absnt Thoughts.
Remaining tickets for Absnt Thoughts’s present at The Grace in London are on sale right here.
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