False Reality are one of the most exciting new bands in UK Hardcore.
Their debut album Faded Intentions is a ferocious statement that more than delivers on the buzz, proudly waving the flag for hardcore while pulling in a whirlwind of other influences. In the midst of hardcore’s renaissance, with young stars like Turnstile and Knocked Loose appearing on major festival bills, False Reality are leading the charge in Britain’s underground, with deep roots in the scene’s trenches.
Formed in 2023, the quartet’s pedigree stretches back much further. Vocalist Rachel Rigby had already spent years as a gig promoter in Essex and London, even organising DIY festivals, eventually deciding to step up to the mic herself and form a band with a furious, sweat-drenched roar. Guitarist Dave Connolly is a true veteran of London hardcore, playing in Ironed Out with drummer Louis Dale long before False Reality. Along with bassist Joe Cornwell, the four of them hit the ground running with the Path of Self Destruct EP recorded with Gallows producer Steve Sears Jr., featuring Jem Siow of Australian hardcore band Speed on the lead single Opposites React. A collaboration born from genuine camaraderie after False Reality played one of their very first shows supporting Speed, their groove-driven and empowering sound was riotously received in the UK hardcore community.
The band spent 2025 relentlessly touring clubs and DIY venues around the country and Europe to build their name, and recruiting new rhythm guitarist Dan Oliphant in early 2026 to become a 5-piece. The band entered the studio with momentum and a clear vision, taking the foundation of hardcore and running wild with it. Across 12 pummelling tracks Faded Intentions hits hard with Dave’s taste for thrash-metal heroics, blistering solos and squealing leads that evoke early Slayer, injecting an old-school metal spirit into the hardcore framework. False Reality refuse to be pigeonholed, with elements of ‘90s grunge and alternative rock, classic punk, and chugging hardcore in a thrilling grab-bag of influences, delivering hard-hitting music that connects with a crowd deliberately crafted for maximum pit impact. Gut churning mosh fuel, adrenaline-rush guitar work and themes of betrayal, empowerment, revenge and struggle drawn from real experiences, this is heavy music driven by emotion and defiance.
False Reality came together through the London hardcore community and remain deeply connected to it, valuing the authenticity and inclusivity that the familial hardcore underground cultivates. Hardcore unity is a guiding principle for the band, with Rachel as a prominent female voice in a male-dominated scene, they’re just as likely to be found two-stepping at a local gig as they are commanding the stage with a loyal following rooted in DIY spirit.
We spoke to the band to find out more:
Faded Intentions is a fucking massive record. How has it been received so far?
Dave: Way better than we expected. People seem to really get what we were trying to do — make something hard as fuck but still honest. The live reaction’s been the biggest thing though. That’s where the record really makes sense.
Joe: It’s been great. As a debut album I think it has laid the groundwork for all the different heavy sounds we love and want to show as a group.
Can you tell us about your individual histories within the hardcore scene before you came together as False Reality?
Rachel: I’d been attending hardcore shows from the age of 13/14, then when I turned 21 I started putting hardcore shows on in London. It was when I was 29 I was like, this is the only thing I haven’t really delved into, so let’s give it a go.
Dave: I’ve been around hardcore since I was 14, going to shows and being part of it however I could. I’ve played in Ironed Out, Bun Dem Out and 50 Caliber, so False Reality wasn’t me stepping into hardcore for the first time, it was just another chapter of something I’ve been doing for years.
Joe: I’ve been in a few metalcore/post hardcore bands over the years, and always wanted to be in something a bit heavier. After spending a few years living in Liverpool doing Dj sets, spending time invested in electronic music, doing raves in warehouses and all the rest, moving back to London and finding the right band for me was really important and I’ve definitely found my people.
Louis: I’d been playing in bands for years, and would always see bands like Hatebreed or Terror whenever they’d run through London, but then I discovered LBU bands Knuckledust and Ninebar and the Rucktion scene and just got hooked on UK Hardcore, attending a few of the last shows at 12 bar in Denmark Street and some mad shows in Tottenham. I later joined Ironed Out (Dave’s other band) and met the best community of people along the way.
Dan: I grew up playing in Indie and Punk bands for years, but my journey into hardcore came at Uni when a friend showed me Code Orange Kids. I'd listened to heavy bands before but the rawness of that album just clicked with me and I was hooked! From there, the band I was in transitioned from punk towards a more metallic hardcore sound, I joined a new band influenced by the belgian H8000 scene, and I started going to shows at New Cross Inn and Old Blue last etc.
What were you aiming to say with Faded Intentions?
Rachel: That the world we are living in today is fucked. We see women being harassed on trains and in the street and people just idly standing by. I see women opening up about abusers, just to watch the abusers be defended. We see children being bombed in a genocide, and the activists attempting to stand in the way of that have laws manipulated in order to punish them. We see trans, queer and non binary people being ostracised, beaten and shamed. It’s an open diary of my anger.
You seem more than comfortable to pull from thrash, metal, grunge, and even shoegaze at points. Why do you feel it’s so important to push the boundaries in hardcore?
Joe: Because life is boring if you don’t. It’s what our influences have done. They have all explored their musicality. We take a lot of enjoyment and pride in what we do and we want to make it special for ourselves and fans. Hardcore is a very expressive genre and you can tell from all the subgenres and crossovers that really it’s a mentality thing; hardcore is about pushing the boundaries. That’s why everyone hates barriers at shows. So there shouldn’t be barriers or boundaries in creativity.
How much of your writing is shaped by imagining the live reaction in the room?
Louis: Yeah, quite a lot of it. It’s always been at the forefront, thinking about how to dance to something and how to create impact, to the point in the song where you want it to go off. You don't want it to be at the detriment of the song itself, but if you can write a track that goes from pit-to-pit while making sense, then you’re doing something right… seems to work anyway.
What have been some of your most memorable shows so far, and what are some of your favourite venues to play?
Dan: The first 3 that spring to mind are: headlining Downstairs at the Dome in London, playing at Tricinty festival in Morocco, and most recently opening the Warzone stage at Hellfest! Energy at all of them was insane! Favourite venues to play are Black Heart Camden (shout out Paula on sound!), The Hobbit in Southampton (big up SOHC) and The Engine Rooms in Bow (RIP).
Can you tell people why they should get involved in the hardcore community if they haven’t already?
Dave: Because it’s yours if you want it. Hardcore isn’t something you consume passively, you become part of it! You can start a band, book shows, put out zines, whatever. There’s no barrier to entry if you care enough. That kind of freedom and community is rare, especially here in London but also worldwide.
How do you want people to feel when they leave a False Reality show?
Rachel: I want them to feel welcome, seen, heard, understood, but most of all I just want people to come and have a good time with us. We love seeing familiar faces as well as meeting new people, so it’s always special for us. We aim for it to be special for others, too.
Tell us about your upcoming tour with Split Chain, and anything else you’ve got coming up in the rest of the year?
Louis: We’re really looking forward to touring with Split Chain. Our first Leeds show in 2024 was with them at Boom and it was wild, so we’re looking forward to doing it all over again. Rach featured on one of their album tracks, which is out soon and it sounds insane! To also be touring with Roman Candle is amazing, I’ve had their latest album on rotation.
For the rest of the year we have a number of shows - which you can check out on our website/instagram. We’re also going to be keeping busy working on some new music.
False Reality are heading on tour with Split Chain and Roman Candle across the following dates:
Sept 18 - Southampton, The Joiners
Sept 19 - Birmingham, The Flapper
Sept 20 - Manchester, The Deaf Institute
Sept 22 - Glasgow, G2
Sept 23 - Leeds, Boom
Sept 24 - Bristol, Exchange
Sept 25 - London, Underworld