Armed with razor-sharp guitar riffs and an irresistible melody, Sheffield four-piece CRUZ, Deliver a Riot of Guitar-Driven Indie Rock and make a compelling statement with their new single, I Get By.
Sheffield has long been a breeding ground for guitar bands with attitude, ambition and an instinct for a killer melody. CRUZ are the latest outfit looking to make their mark, and with their new single I Get By, the four-piece deliver an exhilarating blast of indie rock that feels both refreshingly immediate and unapologetically infectious.
Having signed to This Feeling Records, in partnership with LAB Records (home of The K’s, Seb Lowe and and ALT BLK ERA), I Get By, arrives with the confidence of a band who know exactly where their strengths lie.
“We are all absolutely over the moon to sign to This Feeling Records In association with LAB Records. We recorded this EP back in May and have been really excited to get the music out there. It was just about waiting for the right people at the right time to help push it even further to as many ears as possible. This deal and EP release will take us to the next step, more opportunities, bigger festival slots and gigs here, there and everywhere. We are extremely grateful to everyone who’s supported the journey so far, whether that’s streaming or buying our music or coming down to gigs. The best is yet to come.”
CRUZ
And those strengths become apparent within seconds.
A punchy, infectious guitar riff kicks proceedings into life, instantly establishing the track’s energetic foundations. There is a wonderful sense of urgency to the opening, with the guitars carrying a gritty, slightly abrasive edge while retaining the melodic sharpness that makes the track so instantly accessible. Beneath them, a driving bassline supplies a muscular undercurrent, while the drums propel everything forward with a relentless, foot-stomping rhythm.
What makes ‘I Get By’ particularly impressive is the way CRUZ balance that raw guitar-driven energy with an undeniable pop sensibility. There is plenty of bite in the instrumentation, yet nothing feels unnecessarily complicated. Every riff, every rhythmic shift and every melodic flourish serves the song, allowing its natural momentum to do the heavy lifting.
‘I Get By’ is about the personal experience of coming out of a relationship, but your feelings for that person still remain the same. You’re finding it hard to accept or believe that things are over, but you’re learning how to deal with those feelings.”
Sam Thatcher
The vocal performance is equally assured. Delivered with a distinctly British indie-rock swagger, there is a rawness to the frontman’s voice that cuts through the instrumentation brilliantly. His delivery moves effortlessly between conversational intensity and full-throated conviction, giving the track an engaging, restless quality.
And then comes the chorus.
Big, bold and gloriously infectious, it’s the kind of hook that feels destined to be shouted back by hundreds of voices in a sweaty, sold-out venue. The repeated refrain of ‘I Get By’ is deceptively simple, yet that’s precisely where its magic lies. The guitars open up, the percussion hits with renewed purpose, and suddenly the track transforms from an already compelling indie rocker into a genuine crowd-pleaser.
There are echoes of the unfiltered energy that made the British guitar revival of the 2000s so exciting, with shades of early Arctic Monkeys’ rhythmic punch and the anthemic immediacy associated with The K’s. Yet CRUZ avoid becoming a mere exercise in nostalgia. Their sound is sufficiently punchy, melodic and self-assured to stand comfortably on its own terms.
Perhaps the track’s greatest strength is its refusal to stand still. The arrangement ebbs and flows with impressive precision, drawing back just enough to allow the vocal melodies room to breathe before the guitars come surging forward again. There’s a real sense of chemistry between the four musicians, with the tight interplay between bass and drums providing a formidable backbone for the guitar work.
As the song enters its closing stages, that infectious energy refuses to diminish. Instead, CRUZ lean further into their strengths, delivering a rousing final stretch that reinforces just how effective their blend of raw intensity and irresistible melody can be.
‘I Get By’ is everything a great indie-rock single should be: immediate, energetic, unapologetically guitar-driven and armed with a chorus that refuses to leave your head. There is no unnecessary experimentation or overblown production, just four musicians combining swagger, conviction and a sharp instinct for songwriting.
For a city whose musical heritage casts such a considerable shadow, CRUZ sound remarkably comfortable stepping into the spotlight.
And if ‘I Get By’ is an indication of what’s to come, Sheffield might just have another guitar band ready to make some serious noise.
I Get By is rel
CRUZ Socials
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