New Video: Diary - Keep Comin' Up

 

I used to really like The Streets. Mike Skinner felt like a breath of fresh air when he first surfaced with his sample robbery and hook burglary on Original Pirate Material. There's a track on that album called 'Let's Push Things Forward' with a chorus that resonated at the time and still continues to all these years later:

You say that everything sounds the same, then you go buy them. There's no excuses my friend. Let's push things forward.

Of course, here the implication is that coming out of your musical comfort zone and learning from the past will push things in a different direction; in June 2026 it seems suitable advice in other walks of life. Keir Starmer has resigned and is likely to be replaced as Prime Minister by the newly elected M.P for Makerfield Andy Burnham - an overgrown indie kid and massive Evertonian - HARD RELATE. Yet more political instability as Nigel Farage pulls that Gollum face and cackles under his rock.

 As I write England have just drawn 0-0 with Ghana in the World Cup and played like a bunch of hungover Sunday league players, and the rumour is that Noni Madueke is still rolling around on the floor hours later. Can we please for the LOVE OF GOD, push things forward? I doubt it. 

Now that convoluted way of saying this country never fucking learns is off my chest, it's time to relocate to America. Not literally, I've got no chance of getting through immigration.

 They have no issues there right now do they?  Absolutely none. Zero. Nada. Fuck all. Nothing to see apart from cage fighting on the White House lawn and some silly football tournament. That being said, they do have some pretty great bands bubbling around the underground. The resurgence of New York City continues to gather pace with the arrival of a new single from NNWNF favs Diary. See?  NYC is pushing things forward. 

The band - signed to tastemaker label Kanine Records - rolled into the UK in 2025 and toured, culminating with a stint at FOCUS Wales. The single from the time 'Stevie' is still played on the regular in these parts; a jangle pop classic that is the perfect dopamine hit for the summer months. A year later and the band have recorded their debut album Spiral Bound with release set for September; the first taste being lead single 'Keep Comin' Up'. This could well be a different kind of hit.

Listen to our interview with Diary at FOCUS Wales 2025 here

The band was founded by long time friends Kevin Bendis (Vocals) and Chris Croarkin (Guitar) and after several line-up changes, the band was completed by Yann Kogan (Bass), Jessica Dye (Guitar,  Vocals) and Adam Sachs (Drums). A love of classic 80s UK indie is at the core of what they do, with the likes of The Smiths, The Stone Roses, Echo & The Bunnymen and The Psychedelic Furs inspirations for their sound.

  'Keep Comin' Up' finds it's roots in echoes of Madchester beats that still reverberate way over the Atlantic, but also finds a way to make this sound fresh for a modern audience. You can still look to the past and create a future. The band have a new video where they look cool as hell too, so do yourself a favour and watch below.

Let's put on our Classics and have a little dance shall we?!

Follow Diary on Instagram, Bandcamp and at their Website here