The Stray Pursuit Release New Single ‘Mess With My Head’

May 19, 2025 — Leave a comment

The Stray Pursuit return with their powerful new single ‘Mess with My Head’.

Swansea band The Stray Pursuit return with their exciting new single ‘Mess with My Head’ it captures the chaos and intensity of young love, set against the backdrop of living at home and fixating on someone new. With raw emotion and infectious energy, it unravels the tension of heated arguments and the mental tug-of-war that comes with a relationship growing more serious.

Rife with gritty guitars, punchy drums, and emotionally raw yet melodic vocals. It carries a sense of frustration and urgency, blending angst with anthemic hooks. The song’s themes are both personal yet universal, concerned with mental health struggles, overthinking, and toxic relationships, giving it an emotional yet rebellious edge. With its dynamic melodic shifts, big riffing and powerful delivery, it’s an ambitious anthemic rock sound built for singalongs, it channels the energy of bands like Royal Blood and Nothing But Thieves.

The band recorded the track at Longwave Studios in Cardiff, collaborating with esteemed producer Romesh Dodangoda (Bring Me the Horizon, Holding Absence, Nova Twins). on their debut EP ‘Dominio Effect’. Hailing from Swansea, The Stray Pursuit emerges as a dynamic force in the realm of Alternative Rock. Distinctive for their guitar-driven riffs and captivating vocals, each track embodies their eclectic musical tastes. Inspired by bands like Catfish and The Bottlemen and The Hunna, and with echoes of the Welsh rock lineage of The Stereophonics, Manic Street Preachers, and Funeral for a Friend, in the upcoming months they will release more exciting tracks.

The four-piece consists of lead singer Aaron Morgan, lead guitarist Dylan Cooney, bassist Fred Wilkinson, and drummer Ben Lewis. They have supported Andrew Cushin, The K’s, and Vida, and played alongside The Lottery Winners, Pastel, and Trampoline just to name a few. TSP were featured on This Feelings ‘Big in 2020’. In June 2023, they sold out a headline show at The Bunkhouse for their single release ‘Let It Be Known’. They then went on to sell out two out of five dates of their ‘Domino Effect’ debut EP tour in 2024. One in Cwrw, Carmarthen and the other in The Moon, Cardiff.

The band’s origin story traces back to an unexpected bus ride that led Aaron and Fred to forge an unexpected bond. Despite being rivals in separate bands, their chemistry became undeniable during a jam session. The additions of exceptional talents lead guitarist Dylan and drummer Nicky solidified the lineup. Tragedy struck when founding drummer Nicky Bevan passed away in December 2022. They say “The devastating loss catalysed a renewed purpose for the band: to honour Nicky’s legacy and prove our potential for greatness. He is missed dearly, and will be forever cherished by so many people.”

The pandemic-induced hiatus and Fred finishing university provided growth for the band. Emerging from this break in June 2022, and Ben joining the band later in April 2023, The Stray Pursuit reentered the practice room, channelling their energy into crafting new tracks and elevating their stage presence and live performance, for the songs on their debut EP ‘Domino Effect’.

Emily Marsden – Editor
#IndieRevolution
@Indierevuk
Indierevuk@gmail.com

The Stray Pursuit Release New Single ‘I Don’t Know’

Nov 11, 2024 — Leave a comment

The Stray heralds a new chapter in their career with their awesome and anthemic new single ‘I Don’t Know.’ As the smoke clears, this exciting emerging Swansea four-piece is riding a wave of powerful drums, tenacious riffing with gritty determined vocals. A momentary lull with brooding sonics and melodic references to home: explodes into their most anthemic and hard-hitting chorus yet. It’s a rock anthem brimming with perseverance over tragedy, and succeeding against the odds.

The band says: “I Don’t Know” is an introspective alternative rock song that captures the feeling of longing and uncertainty. The lyrics reflect on past experiences and challenges ahead in life. This song resonates with anyone navigating life’s complexities while seeking connection and understanding.”

The band recorded the track at Longwave Studios in Cardiff, collaborating with esteemed producer Romesh Dodangoda (Bring Me the Horizon, Holding Absence, Nova Twins) on songs from their debut EP. This EP promises to be a testament to their growth and artistic evolution. Hailing from Swansea, The Stray Pursuit emerges as a dynamic force in the realm of Alternative Rock. Distinctive for their guitar-driven riffs and captivating vocals, each track embodies their eclectic musical tastes. Inspired by bands likeCatfish and The Bottlemen and The Hunna, and with echoes of the Welsh rock lineage of The Stereophonics, Manic Street Preachers, and Funeral for a Friend, in the upcoming months they will release more exciting tracks.

The four-piece consists of lead singer Aaron Morgan, lead guitarist Dylan Evans, bassist Fred Wilkinson, and drummer Ben Lewis. They have supported Andrew Cushin, The K’s, and Vida, and played alongside The Lottery Winners, Pastel, and Trampoline just to name a few. TSP were featured on This Feelings ‘Big in 2020’. In June 2023, they sold out a headline show at The Bunkhouse for their single release ‘Let It Be Known’. They then went on to sell out two out of five dates of their ‘Domino Effect’ debut EP tour in 2024. One in Cwrw, Carmarthen and the other in The Moon, Cardiff.

Tour dates:

Nov 28, The Bunkhouse, Swansea

Dec 6. The Moon. Cardiff

Emily Marsden – Editor
#IndieRevolution
@Indierevuk
Indierevuk@gmail.com

The Stray Pursuit Release New Single ‘Mama’

Sep 16, 2023 — Leave a comment

Hailing from Swansea, The Stray Pursuit emerges as a dynamic force in the realm of Alternative Rock. Distinctive for their guitar-driven riffs and captivating vocals, each track becomes an embodiment of their eclectic musical tastes. Inspired by bands like Green Day, Stereophonics and Guns N Roses, their music resonates with a unique fusion of influences.

The four-piece consists of the lead singer Aaron Morgan, lead guitarist Dylan Evans, bassist Fred Wilkinson, and drummer Ben Lewis. They had their first gig in November 2018, quickly followed by a string of sold-out shows. Including Swansea’s renowned music hub Sin City in March 2019 with their debut single release show of “Out of This World”. Since then, they have supported The K’s, featured on This Feeling’s ‘Big in 2020’, and played alongside Sub Focus, Steel Bangelz and Caity Baser at the Swansea Student Summer Ball 2023.

The band’s origin story traces back to an unexpected bus ride that led Aaron and Fred to forge an unexpected bond. Despite being rivals in separate bands, their chemistry became undeniable during a jam session. The addition of exceptional talents lead guitarist Dylan and drummer Nicky solidified the line-up.

Tragedy struck when founding drummer Nicky Bevan passed away in December 2022. The devastating loss catalysed a renewed purpose for the band: to honor Nicky’s legacy and prove their potential for greatness. The pandemic-induced hiatus and Fred finishing university provided a window for maturity for the band. Emerging from this break in June 2022, and Ben joining the band later in April 2023, The Stray Pursuit re-entered the practice room, channelling their energy into crafting new tracks and elevating their stage presence and live performance.

A new chapter unfolded at Longwave Studios in Cardiff, where they collaborated with producer Romesh Dodangoda to record their debut EP. Scheduled for release by December 2023, this EP promises to be a testament to their growth and artistic evolution.

About the song:

Delving into the intricacies of a strained relationship between a son and his mother, ‘Mama’ becomes an emotional canvas where frustration and confusion are elegantly woven into a quest for clarity, improved communication, and a shared understanding.

The song’s foundation is built upon a commanding bassline, driving the rhythm with unwavering intensity. Intermittent pauses and calculated breaks strategically highlight moments where the titular word ‘Mama’ is delivered with unwavering vocal prowess, charged with raw power and undeniable passion.

This punchy and enthralling composition not only captivates the senses but offers a tantalising glimpse of the journey The Stray Pursuit promises to embark upon.

Produced under the expert guidance of Romesh Dodangoda, at Longwave Studios in Cardiff, this single aims to leave an indelible mark on the auditory landscape.

Emily Marsden – Editor
#MusicSceneWales
@MusicSceneWales
musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com

The Stray Pursuit Release New Single ‘Let It Be Known’

Jun 19, 2023 — Leave a comment

The Stray Pursuit is a young Swansea-based alternative rock band. Taking their musical influence from bands such as Stereophonics, Kasabian, and The Enemy.
Their eclectic individual music taste makes each song distinctively their own; with guitar-heavy riffs and powerful, catchy vocals.

The four-piece consists of the lead singer, Aaron Morgan; lead guitarist, Dylan Evans; bassist, Fred Wilkinson; drummer, Ben Lewis, and they had their first gig in November 2018.

They sold out the famous Swansea music venue Sin City in March 2019 with their debut single release show of “Out of This World”. Since then, they have released 3 more singles and have featured on This Feeling’s ‘Big in 2020’, playing gigs as far as The Dublin Castle, Camden.

The band started as Aaron & Fred both got on the wrong bus from college and ended up an hour away from home. After getting chatting the pair discovered they were in rival local bands. But when Fred invited Aaron over for a jam, they soon realised they worked very well together. Aaron invited Dylan, who was in his previous band, and Dylan brought Nicky. Ben joined the band in April 2023, as the founding drummer Nicky Bevan, sadly lost his life (due to mental health problems) in December 2022.

As a result of the pandemic, and Fred finishing university, the boys took a hiatus until June 2022. Since then, The Stray Pursuit have been in the practice room working relentlessly to perfect new tracks and tighten up their enthralling live performances.

The boys have been in the studio recording their first EP at Longwave Studios with Romesh Dodangoda in Cardiff. They plan to release their debut EP by December 2023. They are also in the process of booking a tour, so stay tuned for the coming months!

The song is about someone struggling with insecurities and self-consciousness and trying to overcome them. Hence the lyric “My fear, all over my skin”. I wrote the song in the summer of 2021 on a 4 stringed acoustic guitar. – Quote from Dylan (Lead Guitarist).

In their own words:
Our energetic live performances and crowd interaction as well as heavy guitar riffs that speak to you like lyrics, are what we attribute to our consistent sell-out shows of local music venues.

Our founding drummer passed away in December 2022, aged 20. We have always tried to write songs and lyrics from the heart, but now it has a real purpose. It has given a deeper and more poignant perspective to our song writing.

For fans of:

Kasabian, Catfish and The Bottlemen, The Enemy, Himalayas, Green Day.

Upcoming live dates:

30th June – The Bunkhouse, Swansea. Hometown headline show! (With Stickman and The Rogues)

September 1^st – Via Fossa, Nottingham (with The Fiends)

Emily Marsden – Editor
#MusicSceneWales
@MusicSceneWales
musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com