A MUSICIAN from the region is getting ready to go on tour with his band for the first time – after writing their first single in their bedrooms during lockdown.

Indie-rock band Garden Party released its newest song at the weekend, following on from its last single – In the Middle – which went to number one in the alternative iTunes chart.

Guitarist Kieran Poynter, from Darlington, is hoping Better (Than You) will also prove a hit.

The 20-year-old, who is a student at BIMM Manchester, said: "Our first single was done in lockdown so I was in Darlington and working full time at Morrisons, and recording in my bedroom.

"When we moved back to uni we were able to record the second one in a studio and once we released that it went to number one.

"Hopefully this one will do well as well."

He added: "For ‘In the Middle’, we aimed to get to number one and we got that. For this, we’ve set goals for radio plays that we’ve met without it being released yet.

"We like the sound that we’ve got but we want to show everyone that we’ve got more to come."

The band, whose members also include Liam Horrocks, Aaron Shaw, Sam Timson and Harry Brown, formed in 2019 and has featured on BBC Introducing. They are planning to go on a three-gig tour in September, including a show in Newcastle's Think Tank.

Kieran, who went to Hummersknott Academy before studying music at the Academy of Music and Sound in Gateshead, added: "It will be out first ever gig – we haven't played as a band.

"Because of lockdown its allowed us to grow and work on the promotion side so we've sold about 100 tickets for each gig and it only opened last week."

Better (Than You) is now available from iTunes.