Singer Tommy Longhurst, bassist Andy Burge, guitarist Clem Cherry and drummer Marcus Yates are Only The Poets. A young quartet from Reading, on their way to conquer the world. Inspired by the Reading Festival, which is practically held in their back yard every year, they started writing their own songs. Main ingredients: Longhurst’s honest autobiographical lyrics and festival-ready melodies, inspired by ‘90s British indie music.

Only in 2021, they released 14 early demos on an EP titled, erm, demos. Their first single proper, Every Song I Ever Wrote, is just twelve months old. After their debut EP Our Time, which combined the band’s first five singles, they were quickly signed by Universal Music.

Their live career followed a similar path. Only The Poets grew from student house parties, via pub circuits and small venues to selling out 1,600-capacity venues home and abroad. After supporting Lewis Capaldi earlier this year, they just finished a European sold-out headline tour.

Building a fanbase through live shows is about to pay off big time. The band just released their anthemic new single Jump!, backed by the world’s largest record company. It’s an urgent, attention-grabbing track with galloping riffs, that’s sure to be liked by Sam Fender fans.

Longhurst explains: “Jump! is about all the times when you need to follow your heart and not your head. Too often in life we don’t take the leap, always wondering about potential problems and over thinking. It’s a song all about being completely unapologetic about jumping into something new and exciting, whatever that might be.”

Jump! by Only The Poets is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.

Follow Only The Poets on Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

In the Wildcards 2023 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.

Werner Schlosser

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.