“A snapshot of the early days”: Welly on making pop fun again

Chaotic indie pop, comedically honest commentary on British life, all performed in a PE kit. What more could you possibly want?

Welly are forging their own path in the music scene, ripping up the rule book and, frankly, dancing all over it. With their alluringly nostalgic lyricism, they make “suburban pop music, pop music on a budget, homemade pop music…made on charity shop instruments.” I had the opportunity to learn more about them in a conversation with Welly’s frontman Elliot Hall, aka Welly.

Welly recently spread their joyous musicianship across the UK, as the support act for indie powerhouses, Sports Team. Welly reflects on this experience fondly, reminiscing about the joyful companionship of being on tour. From playing late-night FIFA with Rice and Dewdney from Sports Team, the thousand pints consumed in three weeks, to the sobering 3AM baths with chocolate milk, Welly adored playing to the nation. This reaffirms their unwavering commitment to fun: it permeates every level of their activities as a band, even in the drabbest of hotels or smallest of audiences.

A mix of charming audience engagement, light comedy, and great music seems to flow naturally from frontman Hall. He explains that he just “wants to put on a good show for people”

As with all live performances, the visuals are key, and Welly have nailed it. The infectious spirit permeating through all their tracks floods onto any stage they set foot on. A mix of charming audience engagement, light comedy, and great music seems to flow naturally from frontman Hall. He explains that he just “wants to put on a good show for people”, and this is indisputably achieved.

Furthering the band’s intensely honest homemade aura is their choice of instruments. Welly explains, with a slight smirk, how all their instruments are found in antique shops, charity shops or Facebook Marketplace, with his own guitar coming from a squat in Portsmouth for just £50. He adds, “we wouldn’t mind a Fender sponsorship; that would be nice”, but for their debut album at least, “it’s very much a snapshot of the early days”. Because of this, Welly is unmistakably at the very precipice of a musical breakthrough. So, for all you indie nerds, catch them now before they get massive!

Perhaps Welly is right when he says he is harbouring some intense childhood trauma, but regardless of the reason, the band’s connection to a particularly British childhood radiates throughout everything they do. Most visibly, in their unique style of dress. Welly have come to be famed for their eclectic outfits, as they proudly don their school PE kits and uniforms. Although this is certainly an admirably bold choice, Welly explains that it was borne for a far simpler reason: they are skint. Shoe Zone plimsolls and a multipack of white polo shirts from Primark were the first thought when creating a coordinating outfit, as “the cheapest thing that would match”. This unmistakably British dress is a visible manifestation of many of their lyrics: they explore shopping centres, cul-de-sacs, and the local town centre. The light comedy in this fashion choice exemplifies the band’s carefree and effortlessly humorous nature, establishing them as an immaculately-formed unit of creative chaos and unbridled joy.

Welly explains how this album is a complete passion project; the culmination of years of teenage musing, which, for him as the lead songwriter, “feels almost like showing people my childhood diaries”

Whether it is in their on-stage dynamics, chaotic antics on social media, or within musical recordings, Welly appears to be an immovable unit, representing creative and musical harmony. Welly reveals that personality is the priority when it comes to choosing bandmates. Without their strong friendship, the band simply would not exist. The close relationship between every person in the band is evident in the shared looks of unbridled joy and pride during their gigs. It truly seems as though a bunch of best friends have achieved their dreams of playing music.

Welly is a band in its musical infancy. Their first album, Big in the Suburbs, was released to the world at the end of March, and is an absolute triumph of everything the band stands for. Welly explains how this album is a complete passion project; the culmination of years of teenage musing, which, for him as the lead songwriter, “feels almost like showing people my childhood diaries”. The album is an absolute tour de force, cementing Welly’s proud position at the forefront of British indie pop. It was “written in five years, recorded in five days”, and is curated to the point of pop perfection: a remarkable feat given the narrow timeframe.

An absolute labour of love, the main theme permeating through Welly’s explanation of the album is that it is so deeply personal to him and his band. Aside from the lyrics, which are unapologetic manifestations of his unique outlook on life, the whole album was recorded in his dad’s house in Scotland, in just under a week. Welly is honest about the financial compulsion of this decision, but underplays the emotional significance of it. It completes the completely homemade and ‘authentic’ aura of the album.

Welly explains how they came to be involved with this tour, revealing that they have a strong relationship with the magazine: “we match the vibe of the magazine…they are similar to us in the fact that they like a bit of silliness in their music”

Recently headlining music magazine Dork’s ‘Hype List’ tour, Welly exudes excitement when explaining their experiences. Welly explains how they came to be involved with this tour, revealing that they have a strong relationship with the magazine: “we match the vibe of the magazine…they are similar to us in the fact that they like a bit of silliness in their music”.

As is so often experienced by smaller bands, especially those who are often support acts rather than headliners, Welly are not exactly seasoned professionals when it comes to playing to larger, sold-out venues. Welly speaks candidly about this, explaining that many small venues simply no longer exist due to the crippling costs involved for small music venues. However, this tour, thanks to the publicity and precedent of Dork magazine, granted Welly and the other bands the opportunity to play to larger, sold-out venues. Welly explains that this is part of what he was most excited about, alongside sharing the stage with many up-and-coming bands, who share the same fun philosophy. He hoped that this attracted similar people: fans who revel in silliness, don’t take themselves too seriously, and most of all, want to have fun.

Welly is only at the very beginning of a promising music career. With one album already under their belt, they look forward to their future endeavours. They speak enthusiastically about the next directions, revealing that “I’d like to do a Charli XCX meets The Kinks … hyper pop rock?”. The eclecticism and inventiveness of the band seems unrelenting, offering incredible optimism for their future.

Welly admits that “I want to write songs primarily that people will attach to a certain point of their life”… he focuses on attaining these personal connections

Underneath all this silliness, however, is a profound desire to connect to people. Welly admits that “I want to write songs primarily that people will attach to a certain point of their life”, marking a slight break from the general jokiness of the interview. Unlike many of his peers, he doesn’t set incredible ambitions for the band to be timeless superstars. Instead, he focuses on attaining these personal connections. This comes from Welly’s own musical experiences, with his personal affinity to “crap pop”. He reminisces about his childhood love of Mika, and hopes that one day, Welly’s music will fill that temporal position in someone’s life.

Throughout, Welly reaffirms his dedication to romanticising the ordinary, and making pop music which people can relate to. Their debut album Big in the Suburbs is a powerful rendition of this commitment, and certainly offers something to which everyone can connect to.

Welly recently announced a UK tour for October 2025 which will see the band play their biggest headline shows to date. Get your tickets now!