Brighton folk-punk quartet the New Eves combine tradition and history with a modern rock flair, while adding unusual instruments like cello, violin, and flute into the mix.
Formed in 2021 in U.K. alternative hub Brighton, on England's south coast, the band comprised Nina Winder-Lind (cello, vocals), Kate Mager (bass), Ella Russell (flute, drums), and Violet Farrer (guitar, violin). Mager and Farrer studied literature together at Brighton University, but only became friends when they both unwittingly attended the same gig. They took their name from the 1977 satirical dystopian novel The Passion of New Eve by Angela Carter.
The New Eves were part of Brighton's burgeoning underground DIY scene, which also produced the likes of Lambrini Girls, Lime Garden, and Welly. Inspired by the Velvet Underground, Patti Smith, Talking Heads, numerous works of literature, and the rich and long tradition of European traditional music, they forged a unique sound that combined raw, garagey rock with unusual instrumentation, folksong structures, and wild, ritualistic four-part vocals. The band spent a year honing their sound and playing live locally, before their first recorded appearance came on the "Slow Dance 22.3" mini-compilation.
Snapped up by cult indie Transgressive after literally one single (2023's self-released double-A-side "Original Sin"/"Mother"), they released several tracks for the label -- including "Astrolabe," "Highway Man," and "Cow Song" -- before their debut album, The New Eve Is Rising, was issued in August 2025. ~ John D. Buchanan