The Rogues have hit the ground running in 2026 with “New York,” a track that strips back the instrumentation and lets the vocals do exactly what they need to do. The Newport, South Wales 5-piece deliver their most wistful and emotionally direct single yet, a swing-influenced indie rock track about restlessness, routine, and the dream of something bigger and freer waiting somewhere else. The whistled melody in the chorus alone is worth the price of admission.
The band describes the song plainly: “It captures a restless urge to disappear and chase a belief that you’ll find real happiness and freedom waiting elsewhere.” The swing-inspired rhythm carries the magic and hope that New York City represents as an idea, while the guitar work in the mid-section runs with real confidence before a final verse that hits with genuine emotional weight. Recorded in Tredegar, South Wales with engineer Nick Brine and mixed and mastered by Richard Jackson in Newport, the production gives every element the space it needs to land.
The credentials behind The Rogues are already substantial for a band formed in 2022. Their single “Skinny Dipping” hit the BBC Radio Wales A-List for 3 consecutive weeks and appeared on Match of The Day. Their debut EP ‘1963 (Live at Rockfield Studios),’ produced by Nick Brine (Oasis, The Stone Roses, Bruce Springsteen), entered the Official UK Physical Singles Chart at number 3 within a week of release. “Oh Gena” spent 2 weeks on the BBC Radio Wales A-List in late 2025, with ASBO Magazine calling it a track “that feels like one of your all time favourite tracks from the very first listen.” Nick Brine himself declared them “one of the best Welsh bands I’ve heard in a long time.”
“New York” is already featured on Bethan Elfyn’s Wales Mix on BBC Radio Wales and lands on the BBC Radio Wales A-List this week. This Feeling named them one of their Big in 2025 picks, and the momentum behind this band keeps building. Their debut UK headline tour, presented by This Feeling, runs through May with festival appearances alongside.
2026 Tour Dates:
May 2 – Manchester – Off The Square
May 22 – London – Stags Head Hoxton
May 23 – Monmouthshire – Devauden Festival
May 24 – Margam Park – In It Together Festival
May 30 – Cardiff – Clwb Ifor Bach