Polo Lounge: Kents new wave of indie music
(Img Source - Polo Lounge)
By Will Roberts
The grassroots indie scene in the UK has a certain restless energy that flourishes in small venues, gig rooms with sticky floors, and late-night soundchecks. It is the sound of bands pursuing something greater than themselves and greater than life, gaining momentum through song after song and gig after gig. One such band is Polo Lounge, which has grown from a solo recording project in Canterbury to one of Kent's most promising up-and-coming indie acts in less than a year.
Their journey starts with their frontman Tom Rich. He launched Polo Lounge in 2024 as, in his description, ‘a solo project’. And he laid down the band’s first three singles Joyride, Burnt Tongue, and Trapped Nerve to carve out an identity before the full band even existed. What began as Tom’s personal outlet of creativity quickly evolved into a full band. With Courtland Adams joining on guitar, Oscar Saunders on bass, and Eevie Taylor on drums. The result is a tight knit four with a clear musical vision and an eagerness to make a lasting imprint on the indie scene.
Their sound taps into a familiar but enduring formula: early 2000s indie rock revivalism, the kind that defined a generation of British guitar music. But Polo Lounge are not simply chasing nostalgia; they are injecting it with urgency and dancefloor ready intensity.
Courtland Adams describes the band’s sound as a throwback to the early 2000s indie rock scene, full of energy, angular guitars, and frenetic drums, but with a focus on getting people moving. It is a blend built on sharp guitar hooks and high tempo rhythms, the kind of music made for sweaty venues and festival tents. Comparisons to Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, and Foals are no coincidence. They are part of the DNA Polo Lounge proudly embrace, drawing from the golden era of British indie while pushing forward with their own identity.
That identity has been shaped as much by the venues they have played as the music they have written. Like many emerging bands, Polo Lounge’s early days have been rooted in grassroots spaces, the lifeblood of the UK music ecosystem. Adams pointed toward places like Where Else in Margate and The Spice of Life in Soho as having the largest of impacts, along with a handful of local festivals. “It is really hard to pick a favourite, but we have a lot of love for Where Else and Ramsgate Music Hall, which are two brilliant Kent venues”.
Ramsgate Music Hall (Image source - MapQuest.com)
For Polo Lounge, venues such as these have already delivered career defining moments. One of the most memorable came at the start of 2025, when the band played their first headline show at Where Else in Margate, a gig that quickly became something much bigger than expected.
Tom Rich remembers it clearly – ‘It was such a big deal for us to get our first headline show in the books, and the crowd were amazing. We had actually booked the show for a smaller venue, but demand for tickets was so massive that with only a couple of weeks to go we had to upgrade to Where Else. It was only our third show as a band, so we were not expecting that kind of turnout, but we were absolutely blown away.’
It was only our third show as a band, and we had to upgrade venues because of demand -Tom Rich on Polo Lounges breakthrough headline moment
It is the kind of story that captures the excitement of grassroots music: unpredictable, community driven, and powered by word of mouth. Dealing with grassroots budgets are one of the major struggles for bands like these
That attention has already spread beyond locals, with Polo Lounge’s debut single Joyride being named Record of the Week by BBC Introducing in Kent, a platform that has launched countless new British artists.
BBC Introducing giving us Record of the Week was a brilliant way to start life as a band - Courtland Adams on early radio recognition
That recognition has opened doors, including the possibility of playing larger stages. The band have recently been shortlisted in a public vote to perform at Y Not Festival, a major UK indie and alternative festival that has hosted some of the biggest names in modern guitar music. For a band still in its early stages, the opportunity could be transformative.
(Image Source - Polo Lounge)
It would be a massive moment in our career if we were to end up getting that slot, Adams says.
But even with momentum building, Polo Lounge are navigating the same challenges facing almost every emerging UK band. The grassroots music scene. Which was once a reliable pathway for new artists, but now is under increasing pressure, with venue closures and financial constraints making it harder than ever to break through. The scene has still been in recovery after the destructive years of covid.
However Adams points to the wider industry as a key obstacle. The main barriers we have found are the plight of grassroots music venues and the economics of the industry, he explains. We are really lucky to have a strong scene in Kent, especially in Margate, but other places are not so lucky.
The issue is not just about places to play but sustainability. With streaming dominating music consumption, artists earn far less than they once did from recorded music. This is something we’ve seen plenty of larger artists arguing for increases in artist profits especially from companies like Spotify and Apple music.
As great as streaming is for the consumer, artists get paid about £0.007 per stream, Adams says. You would need about 7000 streams to pay an hour of minimum wage for a band of four people. It is definitely harder to make money now than it used to be.
You would need about 7000 streams just to pay an hour of minimum wage for a four piece band - Courtland Adams on the financial reality of streaming
It is a reality many independent artists face, and one that organisations like the Music Venue Trust are working to address by protecting grassroots venues and supporting emerging musicians.
Despite the challenges, the band remain focused on the future. New music is already in the works, with Polo Lounge currently in the studio recording a new EP, the next step in building their catalogue and expanding their reach.
Tom Rich outlines the ambition clearly: release more music, start touring, and break onto national radio stations like BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6, and Radio X. It is a trajectory built on persistence as much as talent.
For now, the focus remains on playing live and building momentum the old fashioned way: through gigs, crowds, and word of mouth. Their next performance is set for 11 April at Poco Loco in Chatham, another grassroots venue at the heart of the local scene.
These spaces, small stages, packed rooms, and late night encores, continue to define Polo Lounges journey. In an industry shaped by algorithms and streaming statistics, they are carving out a path built on real audiences and real experiences.
And that might be their greatest strength.
Because while the UK indie scene continues to evolve, bands like Polo Lounge prove that its spirit is still alive, in Margate gig rooms, in BBC Introducing slots, and in the roar of a crowd that forces a venue upgrade on a band playing only their third show.
For Polo Lounge, the road ahead is still being written. But if their early momentum is anything to go by, they are already on their way to becoming one of Kents most exciting new indie voices, one grassroots gig at a time.
Polo Lounge play Poco Loco, Chatham on 11 April.