If you’ve been anywhere near the UKs festival scene this summer, chances are you’ve already stumbled across The Cases. Fresh from making serious noise at Isle of Wight and Y Not, thanks to tastemakers, This Feeling, their first festival appearances ever, no less, the Preston lads are wasting no time keeping the momentum rolling.
Their new single Leaving Behind is here, and it’s exactly the kind of jangly, heart-on-sleeve indie anthem that gets stuck in your head after one play.
Produced at Liverpool’s Kempston Street Studios by Chris Taylor (the man behind The Courteeners, The Coral and The Lathums), the track feels like a proper coming-of-age moment. It’s deceptively simple, a few chords, a tight rhythm section, and a chorus that feels custom-built for a massive singalong in big venues, which is where this band are heading.
Lyrically, Leaving Behind, is about trying to let go of someone who’s still hanging around your life — painful, bittersweet, and way easier to sing than to actually say out loud.
And then there’s the vocal. There’s a real rawness in frontman Harry Hornsby delivery, that gives Leaving Behind its own emotional kick, a knowing nod to the highs and heartbreaks of twenty something life. The vocal has that perfect mix of grit and vulnerability, urgent and heartfelt in the verses, soaring in the chorus. It’s the type of vocal that pulls you in and makes the lyrics hit harder. It’s that blend of conviction and fragility that turns the song from a good tune into something that you’ll randomly find yourself singing along to.
Of course, this isn’t just about the studio polish. The Cases have already been cutting their teeth live, and it’s paying off. Their first headline shows in Liverpool and Manchester sold out in hours, Leeds is already packed to the rafters, and they’ve got a 2,500-capacity support slot with The Lilacs at Manchester Academy coming up. Not bad for a band who only just hit the festival circuit a few months back.
And there’s also a London debut, as part of the Test Transmission series of gigs hosted by Radio X’s John Kennedy (and curated by This Feeling) , a trip to Sweden for Gothenburg’s Viva Sounds Festival, and a stop at Stockton’s Gathering Sounds on the calendar, it feels like The Cases are gearing up to push way beyond the North West.
“Leaving Behind” isn’t just another single, it’s the sound of a band kicking the door open and demanding your attention. The Cases have the songs and the swagger to back it up, and if they keep on dropping tracks like this, it won’t be long before they’re not just playing festivals, they’ll be headlining them. Indie’s next big thing? Looks like it’s already arrived.
The Cases Socials
Gigs
18 September London (Haggerston) Signature Brew – Test Transmission showcase hosted by John Kennedy
20 September Scunthorpe Cafe Indie supporting Arkayla
26 September Leeds Royal Park (sold out!)
27 September Stockton Gathering Sounds (This Feeling stage)
11 October Sheffield In The Know Festival
22 November Manchester Academy supporting The Lilacs
29 November Gothenburg Viva Sounds Festival (This Feeling stage)
30 January 2026 Newcastle The Cluny supporting The Lilacs (sold out!)
ThisIsTheMusic 
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