One of Sherwood’s primary goals is to find new bands that you can’t help but adore, that you can catch live for the price of a few pints. Fortitude Valley are a quartet based in the North East of England who make irresistibly catchy music with upbeat hooks and sweet melodies galore, delivering feel-good indie pop-punk that’s an absolute blast, and they need to be on your radar.

Fortitude Valley were formed in late 2018 as the brainchild of Laura Kovic, an Australian singer-songwriter who relocated from Brisbane to Durham. Having played keyboard in bands for many years, Laura began writing her own power-pop songs, and assembled a supergroup from the local DIY scene, featuring members of beloved punk-pop band Martha. Fortitude Valley’s music is as hook-filled and likeable as it comes, with terrific vocal harmonies and upbeat sing-alongs.

Beneath all the bubblegum brightness, the band are a socially conscious bunch, and they don’t simply ignore the world’s problems and sing about rainbows. Fortitude Valley excel at mixing the cheerful with the uneasy, and channeling real life’s anxieties into pop songs, dealing with breakups and mental health wobbles rather than overt political ragers, but there’s an awareness of reality in the background. Many of their songs deal with our increasingly hostile world, and the loneliness produced by social media, pairing wistful and anxious lyrics with soaring melodies.

Their live set is a bundle of energy and joy, with crunchy guitars, a bouncy rhythm section, and heartfelt positivity in abundance. Their second album, Part Of The Problem, Baby sees Fortitude Valley making up for the lost time stolen when Covid cancelled their original debut tour plans, and now is the perfect time to see what all the buzz is about.

We caught up with Laura Kovic to find out more:

Hi Laura! What sparked the initial decision to front your own band and write your own songs?

Part Of The Problem, Baby feels instantly familiar, but not easily comparable to many other bands in 2025. Are there any particular albums or artists that have shaped your bright, loud sound?

A tightrope between joy and anxiety seems to define a lot of your songs. Do you use songwriting as a way to lift yourself and the audience out of difficult feelings and into a more joyful place?

We chose to place Fortitude Valley in our punk recommendations instead of our indie section. Do you think of Fortitude Valley as a punk band, an indie band, both, or neither?

Many of your songs reference a homesickness for Australia, is that something you feel often?

Can you tell us what the other band members bring to the table?

How do you feel about the current state of the UK music scene?

Specialist Subject has put out some of our favourite records of the year, and seem to be curating a really distinct sound. Can you talk about your relationship with the label?

Do you consider yourselves part of any ‘scene’?

What is the ultimate goal of Fortitude Valley?