Following their meeting and forming at college in Guildford, BlackWaters decided that the medieval market town had probably had quite enough of their notorious yard parties, house gigs, and general noise and felt it was about time somewhere else had a dose of them.

One glance at the heart-palpitating rental prices and a keen desire not to play the sort of games bands in London are so often forced into sent Maximilian Tanner (vocals), David Carpenter (guitar), Ollie Franklin (bass), and James Watkins (drums) off looking for options. As a result, Sheffield became home. Fans of Blackwaters have come from both expected and unexpected places. Legendary producer Youth latched on early, whisking them off to his Space Mountain Studios to work with them on their debut EP, People Street, as well as inviting them along to be special guests on Killing Joke’s UK tour.

Support slots with the Marmozets and the DMAs have also proved highlights for the band. Given the frenetic, chaotic, volatile, and unpredictable live shows that are BlackWaters calling card, it’s perhaps no surprise that the attention of Carl Barat was caught, getting them along for Libertines support slots and, along with Olly Burden, working on the tracks Let The Good Times Roll, Down, So Far Out and Fuck Yeah with them.