In 2005, a significant buzz was building within northern British indie music, so much so that NME attempted to create a new genre to capture it: New Yorkshire. The publication declared, “Forget LA, New York or London. New Yorkshire is the best new band scene in Britain.” This feature united a diverse range of bands, including Sheffield’s Arctic Monkeys, The Long Blondes, Milburn, Harrisons, and Bromheads Jacket, alongside Leeds and Wakefield acts like Kaiser Chiefs, The Cribs, Black Wire, The Research, ¡Forward, Russia!, The Ivories, and The Sunshine Underground. However, the ‘New Yorkshire’ label failed to acknowledge a distinct division within Sheffield’s music scene at the time, separating the more arts-focused, often student-led indie bands from the more conventional local indie ensembles.

English Translation:

‘We were stubborn teenagers. We didn’t want to be famous’: the inside story of Arctic Monkeys’ frenzied early years

In 2005, a significant buzz was building within northern British indie music, so much so that NME attempted to create a new genre to capture it: New Yorkshire. The publication declared, “Forget LA, New York or London. New Yorkshire is the best new band scene in Britain.” This feature united a diverse range of bands, including Sheffield’s Arctic Monkeys, The Long Blondes, Milburn, Harrisons, and Bromheads Jacket, alongside Leeds and Wakefield acts like Kaiser Chiefs, The Cribs, Black Wire, The Research, ¡Forward, Russia!, The Ivories, and The Sunshine Underground. However, the ‘New Yorkshire’ label failed to acknowledge a distinct division within Sheffield’s music scene at the time, separating the more arts-focused, often student-led indie bands from the more conventional local indie ensembles.