'Leeds is my favourite city in the world': Emerging band The North on landing a dream Leeds Festival slot

For any emerging British band, landing a slot at Leeds Festival is a defining milestone.

For local trio The North, who formed in early 2025, taking to the stage at Bramham Park this weekend marks the culmination of an explosive 18-month rise across the city’s live scene.

"It actually was in the rehearsal room when we got the offer through," says frontman Billy. "Kobi saw the message pop up and it was a hand-over-mouth reaction from him.

After he announced the news, we were literally screaming, hugging, and jumping up and down."

Having relocated from Scarborough to Leeds at 16 to pursue music, Billy's leap of faith into West Yorkshire's cultural hub proved to be the turning point that brought the band together alongside bandmates Sîan and Kobi.

"I chose Leeds because it was the closest city to home that had the course I thought would be good for finding people that wanted to be in a band," Billy recalls. "After being here four years, Leeds is my favourite city in the world, and it's my home.

It’s taught me so much about myself. It's the perfect place for me to read, write, meet my best friends, relax, and go to a buzzing city centre when I'm feeling a bit less introverted."

That decision quickly paid off.

Building a reputation for raw, cathartic, and high-energy live shows, the group went from grassroots gigs at Oporto, The Duck and Drake, Northern Guitars, and The Lending Room to two pivotal sold-out nights at Hyde Park Book Club.

They have also recently sold out the legendary Brudenell Social Club for their upcoming winter tour.

"Selling out the Brudenell felt like a real moment for us all personally," Billy says. "It’s Leeds’ pride and joy, and we’re very grateful and pretty blown away to be headlining it."

The band's rapid momentum recently caught the eye of Communion Records - home to acts like Wunderhorse and Catfish & The Bottlemen - following a stroke of luck at a London showcase.

"We’d just let our first manager go, and we were playing a gig at The Social hoping to win over a new one," Billy explains. "Jelly, now our A&R, was there to see a different band. As she was walking out, someone coming down the stairs said: 'Are you leaving? You can't leave now, The North are just about to play.'

I don't know who that person was, but I owe them my life!”

"She stayed, watched us, emailed me the week after, and I hopped on a Zoom call with her and Kev Jones. Unbeknownst to me, he was the person who produced a record that changed my life.

He invited us into the studio to record a song called 'Tubes', which turned into our Coming of Age EP."

Despite the industry backing and swift momentum, the trio remain refreshingly grounded, avoiding online trends and social media hype by drawing creative energy from literature, film, and art.

"I love a lot of stuff away from music that inspires me as a creator," Billy says. "I like to make paintings, drawings, poems, and journals. That keeps me away from my phone, which I think is the biggest prohibiter of 'hype'."

Looking ahead to their Bramham Park set, the band promises a lean, high-octane set featuring fan favourites alongside unreleased material.

"Collectively, our mindset is to make people feel what we’ve felt watching bands and artists that have had a real impact on us," says Billy.

"I always pray to leave people feeling inspired, connected, and blown away."

The North perform on Sunday at 1:45pm on The Ballroom Stage.