Six Of The Best – Northern Hospitality

Hartlepool indie‑rockers Northern Hospitality drop their latest track, Fading Out. Their newest offering lunges forward with rip‑roaring guitars, driving beats and a euphoric, anthemic chorus. You can hear flashes of everything from Green Day to The Vines to Oasis, but it’s all pulled together into a sound that feels distinctly their own — vibrant, loud and full of life.

Here, the band discuss influences, with a Six Of The Best…

TV
I’ve always been hugely influenced by TV shows, and the one that has had the biggest impact on my writing is Daredevil. On the surface, it explores familiar themes of heroism and the human condition, but what resonates with me most is its focus on resilience and the strength of the human spirit.

Matt Murdock is a character with an unshakable code, and throughout the series he’s pushed to the brink—physically, emotionally and morally. Time and time again, though, he finds a way to keep moving forward. That idea has always found its way into our songs: an honest reflection of life’s struggles, but with a message of hope running through it all.

Podcast
My favourite podcast by a mile is Have A Word. It’s been a constant in my life for years. Not only are Adam and Dan absolutely hilarious, but they’ve built something incredible from the ground up through hard work, authenticity and simply being themselves.

Watching what they’ve achieved has been genuinely inspiring. They’ve also played our songs a few times over the years, which definitely earns them a few extra points in my book!

Film
As a self-confessed nerd, this was probably the hardest category to choose. But I have to mention How to Train Your Dragon.

It’s simply a brilliant film. Beyond that, though, its message really connects with me. It shows that being different isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength. That’s something we’ve always believed as a band. We’ve tried to create a community where everyone feels welcome, regardless of who they are or where they come from, and I think that’s what makes it so special.

That sense of acceptance and celebrating individuality is what the film captures so perfectly, and it’s why it means so much to me.

Game
Where do I even start with this one? It has to be The Last of Us.

This game had such a profound impact on me that I even learned the theme on guitar. It’s a masterpiece that explores love, loss and the lengths we’ll go to protect the people we care about.

The world-building and storytelling are second to none, and I ended up writing several songs after completely immersing myself in that universe. At its core, it’s a fascinating exploration of human nature and the difficult choices people make when pushed to their limits.

Food
It wouldn’t feel right not to mention scran here. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my food!

Nothing,and I mean nothing, will ever top the holy trinity of Scotch eggs, meatball sarnies and, of course, steak pies. No matter where I go or what I try, I always come back to those three.

Venues
We wanted to use this space to give a special shout-out to some of the venues that played a huge role in helping us get started.

KU Stockton has always been one of our favourite places to play. We’ve had the chance to perform there multiple times, including at Stockton Calling, and we were lucky enough to support Pete Doherty there as well.

Then there’s Idols, which is genuinely a special place for us. I’ve been going there for well over a decade, and they gave both me and this band the opportunity to play our first live shows. They’ve supported us from day one and even put us on their wall, which is still surreal to see.

Without places like these, we simply wouldn’t be the band we are today.